Black Rose
by TemperedRose
Summary: Severus swore he would protect his students, but what happens when the protection one student needs, is more than he bargained for? Can he fulfill his promise to Dumbledore at the same time?
1. Chapter 1

His name is Severus Tobias Snape and he killed Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

His punishment for that? He got the old man's job.

He watched as the students had their meals in the great-hall. It's been three months since the school had started, three torturous months. Many of them held him in contempt, while others, those who supported the Dark Lord, revere. They were now his responsibility. It was his job to keep them alive.

He wanted to curse Dumbledore for this, if he hadn't already killed him. The man expected him to remain on the Dark Lord's good side, if he even had a 'good side', protect the student, help the order and figure out what the damned thing the Potter boy was doing! It would take a miracle for him to pull that off; thankfully he had practice with pulling of miracles.

He eyed the Gryffindor table. With the Potter boy gone the house has turned to Neville Longbottom and Ginevra Weasley as their new 'leaders'. Quite the pair those two were. They were the cause of some of the migraines he suffered. As much as he wanted to curse them, he understood them. He understood their need to fight back, even if it was a very stupid thing to do. They couldn't see that there was in fact, nothing they could do. In the end all they got were severe punishments made from the Carrow siblings.

He felt sorry for the students who suffered at their hands. He also knew that certain students, the younger Crabbe and Goyle in particular, enjoyed torturing the other students. It was rather hellish with Dumbledore gone. Students were being tortured with the Cruciatus Curse by other students. For the first time, he saw Hogwarts falling apart. This was not right.

Potter and his cronies were missing, Severus had no idea how to find them and give them the sword. He hated the boy so much; it pained him to see Lily in his eyes. But he swore to Dumbledore and to Lily that he would do all he can to protect the boy. It was rather pathetic that the faith of the wizarding world lied in the hands of a seventeen years old boy and it was Severus' responsibility to make sure he succeeds.

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The castle was fitful. The moonlight paved the halls that Severus walked on. He could feel the uneasiness of the walls. It was like the very foundations of the school knew that bad things were going on inside its fort. She was restless. Severus found out that as current headmaster he was able to read her better, as if she knew he was her protector. He was failing that responsibility. An echoing scream could be heard in the dungeons. He flinched; it was the screams of his students. The students he was supposed to protect.

He made his way to the familiar place. It used to be his solitude, his area, his territory, his home, but he barely recognized it anymore. The place stunk of terror and horror. It was not a place for students. He opened the door to the Dark Arts to find Ginevra being tortured by the Amycus Carrow. She was the scream that he heard from the floor about. He knew that Carrow was using the Cruciatus curse.

"Stop this instant," he growled upon entering.

Carrow sneered at him. "Why?"

"I am Headmaster and you will do what I tell you to."

Carrow's face turned into a hideous frown. His yellow rotting teeth were showing. Severus knew that the Carrow brother was always mentally unstable. He reminded Severus of young Crabbe and Goyle, stupid, easily angered but talented with the dark arts. "Perhaps the Dark Lord would find it interesting that you are protecting blood traitors."

Severus didn't take the bait. "Perhaps the Dark Lord would be interested to know that you've been spilling pure blood."

Carrow didn't answer; he was never good when reason was shoved in his face. He backed down enough for Severus to make his way to the Weasley girl; he roughly took her arms and dragged her from his classroom. She looked exhausted but still defiant. She pulled her arms from him the moment the door of Carrow's classroom closed. He observed her and was relieved that she was still fully clothed and nothing else had happened to her other than the Cruciatus curse. It was truly dark times when the Cruciatus curse was the least of his worries.

"What did you do this time?" he asked her coolly. She glared at him and stalked off to her dorm.

He glowered at the retreating figure. She should be thankful she's not currently with Carrow being tortured. She was too defiant for her own good. He knew she was the one who led the group who graffitied the halls of the first, second, and third floor, and she and her group was also the reason why most of the muggleborn students were currently missing from school. In a way he was grateful since he would have one less thing to worry about, but he would never admit that, even if admitting it didn't mean his life would be in danger.

He made his way back to his office, the headmaster's office. On his way he saw Minerva passing by consoling a young boy from Hufflepuff. She huffed in contempt the moment she saw him coming and moved the boy away from him as if he was a criminal. He really was a criminal though. He killed the only one Voldemort ever feared, aside from that Potter boy but honestly; Voldemort was being really idiotic about the whole 'no must kill him but me' bit. Doesn't matter anyway, whatever made it easier to kill the Dark Lord.

His mark started burning again. He rubbed it violently, hopelessly wishing it would somehow vanish. It was pointless though because nothing could make it disappear. It was a constant reminder of the mistakes he, Severus, had made in his life. It represented everything he lost and everything he destroyed. His mark felt like his own personal dementor, it sucked out his happiness.

He flooed to the Malfoy Manor, the Dark Lord had been using it as a meeting place for some time now. He saw a few other death eaters arriving, they wore their masks proudly, must be new recruits. He ignored them; they were too foolish, too arrogant and too stupid for Severus' liking. He hated people like that, it reminded him too much of his younger self.

One the large table sat the Malfoys, the once prominent family reduced to weak snivelling little rats, speaking of, Pettigrew was also present along with the Lestranges, the Carrow siblings, Amycus sent a glare at Severus, Yaxley, and other people Severus didn't think were important enough to garner his attention. The head of the table, where Lucius Malfoy was supposed to sit if the situation was different, was Lord Voldemort himself. Severus made his way to him and bowed before heading to his seat.

"My dear Death Eaters," Voldemort hissed quietly. All talk, if there were any, ceased. "What news is there from the ministry?"

Everyone turned to Yaxley, he had Minister Pius Thicknesse under imperious. "Nothing new my lord. Just the normal business, we've registered three hundred muggleborns and had them shipped off to Azkaban. Of course word had gotten around that we were questioning employees and most of them decided to leave the country my lord."

Voldemort nodded. Yaxley gulped, he looked terrified and was doing a poor job of hiding it. It was very difficult trying to decipher what Voldemort was thinking, even Snape, who was a skilled Legilimency user, had a hard time. "What of the international affairs?"

"The American Government is becoming hostile; it's been difficult to negotiate with them. The French are the same," said a Death Eater that Severus did not recognize. Voldemort pointed his wand at the speaker and immediately the man became a screaming twitching figure in the ground. Most of the party flinched except for the old members who learned to be immune to such things. Severus saw the younger Malfoy turn a few shades lighter, his aunt, who sat a few seats to his right, was looking at the twitching figure with glee. Only a psychotic maniac would find that amusing.

When the screaming stopped Voldemort turned to Severus. "Of Hogwarts?"

In a calm manner, achieved only by placing his life in danger multiple times, he answered, "Under control. But I must confess that some of the muggleborns have gone missing, it is suspected that some students are smuggling them out." He prepared himself but preparation is never enough. A sudden burst of pure torturous agony erupted from every cell in his body. He managed to keep a better composure than the preview man and did not make a sound.

"My Lord, if I may," said Amycus Carrow, "One of the Weasley child was suspected of helping the mudbloods out of the school. Just before the meeting I was interrogating her but Snape here interrupted."

Severus sneered. It was a rat race. Everyone wanted to be on Voldemort's good side, if he even had a good side. He prepared himself for questioning, his brain started thinking of excuses. He a few prepared but surprisingly Voldemort did not ask. He was silent, thinking.

"Which Weasley child?" the Dark lord asked.

"Ginevra Weasley my lord," answered Carrow.

Voldemort was silent again. "Why does that name sound familiar? Weasley is the blood traitor family is it not?" There was a murmur of affirmative. Severus saw that Lucius looked sick, he was the reason the name Ginevra Weasley would be familiar to Voldemort, and not for a good reason. No one moved, no one made a sound, it was deafening silence.

"What of Gringotts?" Voldemort asked suddenly. Previous topic remained unmentioned.

Severus let out an inaudible sigh of relief, for a moment he thought Voldemort was going to ask him to bring the Weasley girl to him.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

Some things I've realized about myself:

One, I have too much time on my hands. I've created another one. I have trouble sleeping sometimes and when I do, I write things and when I write things, I have the urge to publish them.

Two, I like using Ginny too much. I just love her character because JK gave us enough to work with but at the same time I find her character too underdeveloped that it's quite easy to manipulate her personality so while it still fits the canon, the author can add a few extra touches.

Third, I like pairing her with older men. It's odd. I mean, I've been attracted to older men, but mostly it was because they were actors from amazing movies. But I've never found any one, significantly older than me, that I knew personally, whom I found attractive.

Fourth, I blabber with I'm tired but can't sleep.

Anyway... if you've enjoyed this story, drop a review. But if you didn't, drop a comment to tell me why.

Until then.

Sincerely yours,

TemperedRose


	2. Chapter 2

Severus watched his students as they all ate in the great hall. It was a noticeably smaller group than earlier in the year, and it was not because most of them decided to skip dinner. Outside, the cold winter was coming to a halt and was transitioning towards the summer. It was nice spring weather and the sun seemed to smile during the day. Unfortunately not the same could be said about the students. Without the new 'leaders' the herd was lost. The Longbottom boy was still around but without the help of the Weasley girl it did not seem enough. She was, according to rumours, sent to a relative in America, or was it Canada, for her own safety and hasn't been seen since the start of the winter holidays. While it please Severus that the Weasleys finally grew a brain and sent her away, leaving him with less troubles to deal with, the same cannot be said to the remaining students.

They were losing hope. Severus had not had any luck either, with looking for the Potter boy and giving him the damned sword. Every day was getting worse and worse. The students were fighting, yes, but it was difficult for them, Severus could see that. As much as people thought he was a cold arrogant bastard, he actually truly did care. It was his punishment, the constant guilt and pain of knowing what his students are going through and being unable to stop it, for his crimes as a death eater.

The conversations were quiet. Everyone was whispering, not because there was some juicy gossip, no, no one bothered with gossips anymore. It was because nobody wanted to garner too much attention to themselves. The Carrow siblings looked smugly at the students; they were the ones responsible for the solemn mood. Severus forced himself to look impassive.

His mark started burning, he glanced at the Carrows and their faces scrunched up in pain. The three of them stood up and made their way to their respective offices to floo to the Malfoy manor. The whispers lessened as they did, most of the students had relief written on their faces. Severus took a quick glance at the staff table; he saw the faces of Hagrid and Minerva look at him in distaste. They knew he'd been summoned.

There was a painful pang inside him when his eyes met theirs. He had spent many years bantering with Minerva in an almost friendly manner. She had forgiven him again and again, especially after he had accepted his post as Potions professor, she was the one who, despite the other staff being weary of him, welcomed him. He owed a lot to her, as a fellow co-worker and perhaps a friend.

He reached in office and stepped into the fireplace. He felt the familiar sensation of the warm flames licking his body. With grace and ease achieved only by years of experience, he landed on the Malfoy Manor fireplace and moved just in time to see Alecto Carrow land. He didn't bother waiting for the other one, the less he sees their faces the less nauseous he became.

Voldemort was in his usual seat. The Malfoy father and son sat next to him, the two of them seemed to be getting thinner and paler each time Severus sees them. Most of the other death eaters weren't present, only those from the inner circle. The Dark Lord remained quiet as he watched his followers take their places. Severus saw the malicious glee Bellatrix had on her face, whatever caused it couldn't be good.

"First off, I would like to inform you that I would be leaving the country for a while," Voldemort hissed. "I am sure you know well enough not to mess anything up." There was a hint of warning in his voice, just a hint but it was enough to send a cold chill in everyone's backs.

"Yaxley report." It was a simple request, well simple enough.

Yaxley looked visibly afraid. "My Lord everything is going as planned. We've faced some resistance from the auror department but we've issued a warrant of arrest to Auror Shacklebolt."

Voldemort nodded, his wand, which he had gotten from Lucius, in his hand. "What of Potter?" he spat the name as if it were a vile potion.

Yaxley started looking paler. "There were rumours of his sightings but once we investigated there wasn't anything concrete. Most of the leads are snatchers looking for money my Lord. They have been dealt with of course."

Voldemort sneered and looked at Bellatrix. A silent order was sent her way and she smiled, or at least her lips twitched upwards. "Girl, come here," she snapped at a corner.

The figure that Snape first thought was a pile of dirty rags moved and made its way to the deranged maniac. She didn't even have to look up; her hair was a big indication for Severus to know her identity. He knew he visibly looked shocked. It took great control for him to change his face back to its blank expression and clear his head.

Bellatrix flicked her wand and the girl fell on the floor shaking in pain. Her head bowed down as a hoarse scream echoed around the room. This was one of the hardest things Severus had to endure, harder than when he had to watch his co-worker killed in front of him. He saw Draco look visibly sick and worried. He knew that while Draco had hated the Weasleys, he had a soft, albeit reluctant, spot for the Weasley girl. Most of the boys at Hogwarts did.

"Weasley, bow to your master," Bellatrix ordered. Severus knew that the girl would rather die than bow to the Dark Lord. He expected a nasty remark from the idiot child and for her to get herself killed. He was already preparing himself with how to deal with the Weasley family when they find out that their girl is dead. Instead, the girl crawled towards Voldemort and kissed the hem of his robes.

"This is the child you were having difficulty with?" Voldemort asked Amycus. The Carrow brother nodded as he watched the whimpering girl.

Severus was astounded. They broke her. They broke Ginevra Weasley. This girl, who was so full of spirit and joy, was turned into that. It frightened him to think just what Bellatrix did to turn her to that.

"Draco Malfoy had informed us the Ms. Weasley here had a relationship with Potter," Voldemort said. Severus saw that Draco looked absolutely nauseous, as if he regretted every divulging that information to anyone. Severus knew the boy enough to figure that he was probably cursing himself at the stupidity. "She unfortunately does not have any information of his current whereabouts."

"I wonder though," Voldemort continued, pausing for effects. "How he would feel when he finds out that his little friend has joined ranks amongst us?" There was a pause, Severus' mind was reeling. He knew that it would be impossible for the Weasley girl to accept being a death eater willingly. "Severus."

Severus bowed, "Yes my lord."

"You will care for this girl and you will teach her our ways. Her blood is almost as pure as the Malfoys and she will be a great asset to our community," Voldemort ordered. "You have until the start of the new school year to prepare her for her initiation." His command was final, there were no excuses, Severus knew that. "In that time she is yours to do as you please," Voldemort said suggestively. "As a reward for getting rid of the old fool." It took all of his will power not to glare at the Dark Lord.

The discussion continued on to the werewolves and giants. There was also an issue in Gringotts, the goblins were being rebellious. Severus only half listened to what they were saying. His eyes wandered occasionally to the figure which sat in the corner like a house elf. His mind was too busy trying to figure out a way to keep her safe.

The meeting ended soon enough. Voldemort left and Severus took the Weasley girl, careful not to show any kindness while the others could see them. She was thin, very thin. She looked like she hasn't seen a bath in months, and her clothes were dirty with blood and grime.

"Quite the handful she was," Bellatrix said with unadulterated glee. "Bloody thing was very stubborn, had to make sure she was still sane unlike those pathetic Longbottoms. They were what, five, seven hours straight? Took a while to break her, but I did enjoy it." Severus was always disgustedly astounded by how brutal Bellatrix could be. She cupped his face; it took all his will power not to punch her. "She'll be so willing to do anything," she whispered. "She'll even suck your little-"

"That is enough," he hissed loudly. He looked at her as if she was dirt in his shoes.

Her smile only got bigger. "Maybe you're not so little are you Severus? Don't worry she'll like it rough. She'll cry and bleed and she'll love it."

Severus glared at her. He couldn't believe a person like her existed. He wondered who was more foul, Bellatrix or Voldemort himself. It was difficult to answer. Before he could make a move, Bellatrix grabbed the girl's head roughly and licked her cheek. For the first time, Severus saw Ginevra's face. She didn't even look disgusted or repulsed by Bellatrix's action, nor did she make a move to stop her. Bellatrix made a face of disgust and spat on the girl's face.

Snape roughly pulled the girl away from the maniac. He made his way to the nearest fireplace, where Amycus was waiting. The retched man had a malicious grin on his face as he looked at Ginevra; it made it easy for Severus to know what the man was thinking. "When you're done with her make sure you let me borrow her," Amycus said.

Severus lost control. He grabbed the man by the neck with his free hand and lifted him to the wall. His moved close to the man, and was pleased when Carrow's eyes dilated. "You will find that I can be very possessive. Lay one hand on something that belongs to me and you will find yourself regretting your very existence. Remember, I killed Dumbledore, you think you'll be a challenge?"

Severus let go of him, but he knew the other man enough to know that this wasn't the end of it. He would have to keep the Weasley girl close by.

He held the girl gingerly as the floo together. Her weak body was supported by him as they arrived in his office. She was very light, too light for Severus ignore. She was never big but now she looked malnourished. Her clothes also looked grimy. He wondered if she was even given a bath in those four months in captivity. He shuddered, four months. That was a long time, for anyone, to be under Bellatrix' mercy. He truly felt sorry for whatever she had to endure.

He carried her to the bathroom and set up a bath for her. He wasn't sure whether he should leave her on her own or help her. He wanted to leave her but she didn't look like she would be able to support herself. She sat on the toilet unmoving. "Can you do this yourself?" he asked her gently.

She didn't move. He repeated it louder and he saw her involuntarily flinch. He decided to leave her alone for the while and headed back to the office. She should know what to do. He had paper work to finish.

He had been staring at the same page for ten minutes, and while he normally would have breezed through the monotonous task, he was unable to concentrate. He had not heard a single peep from the Weasley girl and he was getting worried. He tried ones more to read the list, which was the school budget for the year; no success. He decided to check on the girl.

He knocked softly but didn't hear an answer, not that he was expecting one. He opened the door and saw the girl in the same position as he left her. She didn't move an inch. A year ago he would have rejoiced to find a student that behaved. He wanted to shake her, to instil any kind of emotion from her, anything that resembles her normal jovial self. But he knew it would do more harm than good.

"You need a bath; I'm going to give you a bath ok?" She didn't do move.

He sighed and waved his wand over the water to make it warm once more. He checked the temperature and found it suitable enough. He carefully unbuttoned her shirt. She whimpered. "I'm just going to give you a bath," he whispered soothingly. She didn't look like she believed him but showed a face a defeat. He didn't want to look at her face so he looked at her body instead; bad idea.

He couldn't help but let out a gasp as when he saw her chest. Her ribs were protruding from her torso, and her stomach was so thin. He gulped, as a death eater, whenever they were on raids he made sure to never take hostages. He killed them on the spot to ease their pain. For the first time in his life he was glad he did so, no one deserves what had happened to her. He removed the skirt and made a point to be professional as he removed her undergarments. Her shivers were noticed but ignored.

He carried her almost weightless body and lowered her into the warm water. He heard her inhale sharply, as if he was going to drown her. He took the soft sponge and lathered it with soap and proceeded to scrub her as gently as she could. He starts with her shoulders and arm. As the dirt, grime and blood are removed the wounds and scars became visible. He bit his lips to prevent himself from gasping as he uncovered bruises and cuts. He tried being as gentle as he could, barely even able to control his rage at whoever did this to her.

When he started with her back she let out a hiss of pain. It didn't take him long to figure out why. There were lacerations all over; it must have come from a whip of some kind. He wanted to vomit. He should be used to seeing those things but never on a girl that young and _never_ on a student. The only consolation he had on seeing those kinds of inflictions on others was the knowing that they were horrible people. Ginevra wasn't a horrible person, yes she was one of those annoying Weasleys, her school ethics were appalling, she had the tendency to be snappy, and her taste in boys were atrocious but she was did not deserve this.

He stopped washing her when he felt her shaking. He saw drops of tears make their way down her cheeks. Her eyes were covered by her hair but he didn't have to see them to know the agony she was going thought. She let out a strangled sob. Severus did the only thing he could think off; he climbed in the tub and hugged her tightly from behind.

She tensed when he did this, but after a few seconds she started sobbing. Her cries were gut wrenching. He felt a few of his own tears fall on her wounds. They slid down the crisscross patterns on her back. With whatever strength he had left, he continued to rid her body of the dirt. He had to change the water twice because the first one was too dark. Her crying had stopped by the time he was finished.

He wrapped her in a towel and led her to the bedroom. He then went back to the bathroom to give himself a quick washing. He was too deep in thoughts that when he went back to the bedroom he was only wearing a towel around his waist. She sat on his bed, covered in the same towel he wrapped around her. She didn't move but he felt her eyes gazing at his body. He had scars similar to hers, but they were caused because of his own stupidity. They were 'battle scars' from raids and fights against aurors. He deserved them.

He sighed as he realized he had nothing for her to wear. Her clothes were irreparable and even if they weren't it would take a while to have them cleaned. The house elves were magic but they were no miracle workers. He rummaged through his drawers, looking for something she might fit in. There wasn't anything. He wasn't the type of person to keep things he didn't need. He pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled out a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt. He shrunk then enough to fit her figure. He dressed her up. The shorts were still a bit loose on her but he figured a good meal before bed should make it fit snugly.

A meal was prepared by the time he was done.

He supported a half limping Ginevra to the dining area and sat her down. He saw her eyeing the food in complete hunger. For a moment he wondered why she wasn't eating, but then he decided he didn't want to know the answer. "You can eat," he told her.

The table, which was usually occupied by only him, was small so she was within reach of all the food. She started grabbing and munching on everything she could reach as if it were the last time she was every going to eat. Her mouth was still full and already she was stuffing more into it. Severus knew that if she continued to eat that way she would get sick. "Slow down," he ordered gently. She didn't listen.

"Ginevra slow down," he repeated this time with more force. She didn't stop. She continued eating at that pace.

He stood up. "Ginny! Stop!" he yelled.

The reaction was instantaneous, she dropped the food she was holding, she swallowed whatever remained in her mouth, she moved back a meter from him dragging the chair along and she started shaking. He sighed. After berating himself for losing his composure, he placed a hand on her shoulder as gently as possible. She flinched. He moved closer to her when she vomited all over his shirt.

She looked absolutely petrified. She started to shake and was hyperventilating. He knew she was scared. "It's ok, it's fine, you're alright, I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered in a comforting tone. She didn't look like she believed him and turn her head as if expecting to get hit. He cleaned up the vomit with his wand and took a spoon full of the mashed potatoes. He placed it in near her mouth but she wouldn't open. Her eyes looked at it as if the food were poisoned.

"You were eating too fast, and your stomach couldn't take the amount of food you were putting in it." She didn't believe him and still looked at the spoon with disgust. Severus waited patiently and she reluctantly opened up wide enough for him to put it in her mouth. She had a thoughtful look in her face as if trying to taste whether there was poison or not. Her eyes darted at the food again. He took another spoon full and placed it in her mouth, this time she didn't hesitate to open. He repeated the process until there was no more food left.

A faint smile, it was barely visible but Severus saw it, graced her face as she patted her tummy.

Severus then fed her a few nutritional potions to help with her digestion and to improve the lack of nutrition she suffered from. Then he took her hands and applied a balm that would help ease the bruises and the wounds. He knew she was watching what he did intently, probably wondering if what he was doing was going to help her or hurt her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"I'll put some on your back," he informed her softly. "But to do that I have to remove your shirt, I'm going to remove your shirt ok?"

He felt her tense but she didn't move. He removed the shirt and started spreading the balm on her back. She started breathing normally when it started to take effect, he could feel the rise and fall of her chest under his fingers. The cuts were closing and the bruises were fading but Severus could see faint scars replace them. He knew those scars would take a long time to fade, if they ever.

When he was satisfied that her physical scars were healed, he lead her back to the bedroom. There was only one bedroom and one bed. Ginny looked scared as if she was afraid the he might do something to her. He placed her on the bed and tucked her in. She lay there stiffly and kept her eyes on the ceiling. He knew what she was thinking; it didn't take a genius to figure it out. He took one of the extra pillows. "I'll be just outside the door if you need me. Just wake me up," he said, making sure she knew that he would not be sharing the bed.

He turned off the lights and closed the door. The moment he shut the door a reluctant tear escaped from his eyes. He allowed the moment of weakness to pass over. It was times like these when all the pain just seem to be on the brim. He remembered the carefree student who defiantly did what she wanted. He remembered the student who rose up even after being possessed by the dark Lord himself for a whole year. He remembered the student who received more detention from him than he cared to count. He remembered the student who won the Gryffindor the Quidditch cup last year and the year before that. He remembered the student who sat proudly with her friends after fighting off death eaters at the ministry. He remembered the student who smiled. Where was that student?

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

I wrote this story with this scene in mind, so I hope you enjoy. Thank you for the reviews and for **Moi **for the tip but unfortunately (or fortunately for you, readers) it's the thoughts that keep swirling in my head. Also, I'm cheap so I don't buy books, I read them in the bookstore (I'm living off instant noodles so don't bash me for 'stealing', I'm really on a tight budget)... but then again I should probably get a library card in the local library. Hmm, maybe I'll do that...

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may plot bunnies invade your imaginative minds.

Until next time,

TemperedRose


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up. For a brief moment he wondered where he was, and then he wondered why he was sleeping there. The memories of the previous day overwhelmed his brain. He remembered the Weasley girl was occupying his bedroom. A loud cry reminded him of the reason he woke up in the first place.

He rushed to the room and opened the door slightly to take a peek. He saw her trashing about, the pillows had fallen on the floor and the blankets were twisting around her. Her cries weren't cries of fear or sorrow, it sounded like she was getting tortured. He knew it was one of the effects of the Cruciatus curse, the body sometimes relapses when the victim is at rest. That was why sometimes in the dungeons, people are still screaming at night even when they weren't being tortured. But those people deserved it, or at least a part of them did. They were murderers and rapists. _He_ deserved it! Not her.

He went to her and gently placed a hand on her forehead. Her frown slowly vanished, her trashing stopped and her cries died down to a soft whimper. He started caressing her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had built up. He didn't know if it was his imagination but did she lean in on his touch? He shook his head, he was getting tired. He moved away from her to go back to his couch. Her face scrunched up again, as if looking for the source of comfort. He couldn't just leave her with clear conscious. He slid on the other side of the bed and repeated his action of caressing her forehead. He saw her move slightly on his side, as if trying to get closer.

His eyelids drooped and after another minute he knew no more.

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When he woke up the next day, he found a pair of eyes watching him curiously. For a moment, when their eyes met, he only saw wonder in them instead of pain. Then she looked away, her cheeks turning red in the process. He was tempted to smirk, but he didn't. He got up and went about his day.

First he ate breakfast with the girl. She had fed herself, though she still ate faster than Severus would have liked but at least she wasn't trying to drown herself in the food. He handed her more nutritional potions, knowing that it would take a while for her body to go back to its healthy state. He made a mental note to get her new robes, he didn't think it would be fitting for her to be walking around in his boxer shorts and his shirt, no matter how much it made her look endearing. Severus paused momentarily at the thought and shook his head.

He asked for a house elf to provide him with a student's robe that would fit her as he listed down things she might need. He dressed her and then gave her a potion that altered her appearance. It wouldn't do well for him if the wrong people see the girl with him. Her hair changed from red to black. He then flooed with her, making sure he had a proper hold of her. As much as he wanted to couldn't afford to have her escaping him. The Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased.

Diagon Alley was solemn. Instead of the normal boisterous crowded streets, it was now an extension of Knockturn Alley. He made sure to keep the girl close to him as he made his way through the streets.

The bright dazzling shop of the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes came into view and the Weasley girl froze. Severus pulled her but a small stubborn part of her pulled back. He knew this was her chance to see her family again. He wanted to take her to them and leave her there but he couldn't. He knew that if he did the Dark Lord would probably kill him, and he couldn't die yet. He needed to get the Gryffindor sword to the stupid Potter boy first and to tell him the truth about his scar. It was vital for the war. He sighed to himself and put a tighter hold on the girl and pulled her roughly to a dark corner. A moan escaped her lips as he did so. He made sure to not give her a chance to escape as he leaned in on her.

"They think you're safe in America. I can't let you go and if they find out you're with me instead of somewhere safe then they would only do something stupid. It's better if they don't know," he whispered urgently.

Her eyes darted between Severus and the shop. She sighed dejectedly but Severus didn't lighten his hold her until they reached Madam Malkin's. He made sure to keep her in his line of sight and to make sure he was in the way between her and the door. She made no attempts to escape but he did see the attendant look scared of him and gave her a pitiful glance as she measured Ginevra for her robes.

He didn't spend another second inside the moment he received the clothes. He didn't even turn away when Ginevra changed into her new clothes even when the attendant glared at him. It wasn't like there was anything there he hadn't seen yesterday.

They passed the apothecary and the stationary shop; he had been running low on items. He also stopped by some shops to get hygiene products for Ginevra. He made sure he had the girl in his arms secured tightly and at the same time he wanted her to experience the outside world before going back to Hogwarts. After months in captive he figured she needed it. In Hogwarts he couldn't let her roam the castle in fear that she would run away or be recognized. Also, he didn't like the way Amycus leered at her and he would not let that man get anywhere near her.

He saw Ollivander's and wondered where Ginevra's wand was. He made a mental not to ask Draco about it, but for the moment he didn't think she should have her wand.

They got back to the castle and he made space for his closet for her clothes. In his bathroom he placed her toothbrush and toiletries in the shelves. She remained quiet and in contemplation. He figured she was thinking about her family and left her alone. He went about his work, filing up paper work and checking up on a brewing potion. She sat on a corner within his line of sight for the whole time. He figured he needed to give her a task, something to keep her mind of things.

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A month had passed. Ginevra had gained weight and didn't look sickly anymore. Her complexion had also brightened up and her scars had mostly healed. It was only visible if you knew it was there. Unfortunately, mentally she was still troubled. On her second night, Severus decided to sleep in the same room in case she had troubles during the night. He had slept on the floor but in the middle of the night had to move back in the bed just to get her to calm down. Since then he had been sleeping next to her. It gradually felt natural to have another body sleeping next to his. For weeks now she hadn't said a word but she can now manage to bath herself and she actually chews her food instead of swallowing it whole. Severus knew it would take a long time to help her and doubted if she would ever go back to her old self.

During the day, as he went about his business, he made sure that Ginevra was doing something. He had given her school works so she would be able to keep up. During meal times he would sit with her and they would eat. Sometimes he would tell her news about her family, or her friends, making sure to leave out any bad news. Her parents were now hiding under a fidelius charm, her brother Percy still worked at the ministry, the twins still busy at the shop but had doubled up on protection spells and enchantments, the two eldest were rumoured to be out of the country and the youngest brother was still unheard from.

When he had to make rounds around the school or attend staff meeting he made sure to inform her when he would be gone and for how long. The staff members weren't oblivious to his absence, though most assumed it had something to do with the Dark Lord's bidding. Though the Carrow siblings tend to give him a knowing smile, he did nothing to assuage their theories.

In his room, she was a constant presence. His office was connected to his private room but he had forbidden her to venture to the office. If she was seen, it would make things difficult. So far, other than the death eaters, no one knew she was even in Britain and he preferred it to be kept that way. If Potter or annoying boy Weasley found out that she was with him they would probably do something idiotic.

During one of their dinner his mark started to burn. He rubbed it subconsciously and he saw Ginevra's eyes follow it. He knew she knew that Voldemort was calling. She bit her lips but she didn't say anything, not that he expected her to. A part of him wondered if she even _could_ still talk.

He stood up, feeling her eyes on him as he did. She was silently asking him where he'll go, what he'll do, when he'll come back. A small satisfaction erupted in him when he realized just how dependent she was to him. Her forehead had a small crease and her teeth bit into her lips gently in worry. "I'll be back tonight, don't wait up," he told her as he gave her a comforting half hug. He had gotten into the habit of giving her a comforting hug whenever she seemed trouble.

He flooed to the Manor to find that it wasn't a meeting, Voldemort stood there with Dolohov and Rudolphus. It was probably a raid, or a kidnapping. With the minimal amount of people it was most likely a kidnapping.

"You will get Ollivander for me. There are some questions he needs to answer," Voldemort ordered. They all nodded and donned on their masks. It would be a quick grab and go, Severus assumed. They apparated to Diagon Alley, the residents immediately made way for them. Ollivander didn't put up a fight, he did look terrified though. Dolohov grabbed the old man and apparated away with him. Severus took a few random wands from the shop before following.

Voldemort stood waiting as Dolohov shoved Ollivander to the ground next to his feet. Voldemort didn't say anything as Ollivander whimpered. Severus and the rest of the death eaters didn't dare move nor speak either. They waited for Voldemort to give an order.

"Severus, go to the potion lab and brew me a Memory Potion," Voldemort ordered him. Severus did not question the Dark Lord and made his way to the potion lab. He knew his way fairly well around the manor, having been there numerous times.

On his way he spotted Draco sulking in one of the many chambers. He ordered the boy to accompany him to the lab. He noticed the lad looked sickly, his once arrogant self had slowly changed to one filled with regret. Severus knew that Draco made many mistakes in his life and was now paying the price. He would still probably continue paying until he gets older, similar to how Severus has.

"How is she?" Draco whispered when they reached the lab. Unlike in Hogwarts, the potion lab in the manor wasn't in the dungeons. It was fairly lit and full equipped, even thought he was sure that none of the Malfoys even knew how to brew a pepper up potion correctly.

"She is doing well, though very emotionally scarred."

Draco flinched. "I accidentally mentioned that Ron Weasley and Potter were friends. I thought it was common knowledge amongst them, and then they found out that Ron hadn't gone to Hogwarts so they took the next best thing, his sister. Then I did the stupidest thing and mentioned that Potter and her used to date. I- I saw my aunt's face a-and I immediately knew what she had p-planned with her," Draco's eyes were red and his hand was shaking after he finished speaking.

"How long did they keep her here?"

"S-since after the winter break, about four months. T-they found out that the W-Weasleys were planning on sending her away, b-but they intervened before she could leave."

"I heard the Weasleys think she's in America,"

"I-I heard the dark- you know who, say that after she takes the mark, he'll use that information to lead Potter out in the open. He wants her in our ranks."

Severus frowned. If Voldemort was planning on doing that, then why allow Severus time to convince her to join? Wouldn't it be easier to just force her to join? Was it necessary that she be in their ranks willingly? What was the Dark Lord planning? He voiced out his thought to Draco, wording it properly so it wouldn't sound suspicious.

Draco looked around carefully and leaned in. "I heard from rumours that the wand he took from my father isn't working properly for him. He's looking for a new wand; a wand they say is the most powerful wand out there. That's why he kidnapped Ollivander. But that's all I know, and I don't even know if it's true or not," Draco whispered. "As for the Weasley girl, I think it's just because she's a pureblood. He knows that there aren't much of us left and thinks she'll be a fine addition to the future."

Severus tried to make himself look uninterested, but his mind was reeling. "By the way, where is Ms. Weasley's wand?"

"Father's been using it," Draco answered.

"Can you switch the wand with one of these?" Severus produced the wands he took from Ollivander's and placed them on the table.

Draco frowned. "I'll ask but I'll make no promises. Father's been snarky since he came back from Azkaban.

Severus would have been surprised if Lucius was in a joyful mood, even if the man had never been to Azkaban. From being one of the most powerful and influential man in the country, he was reduced to a bumbling servant. "I don't care how you do it but I'm going to be here for the next five hours, you better come before then with it," he hissed.

Draco glared at him before stalking off. "Four months in the hands of Bellatrix, you owe her Draco," Severus told him just before he opened the door. He saw the boy's hand grip the doorknob tightly as his body tensed up. He didn't want Draco to forget the guilt; it may one day save his soul.

When Draco left the room he contemplated. First, Voldemort was looking for a wand, a certain specific wand. Where is the wand? Second, where was Potter and what in bloody Merlin's beard was he doing. Third, what did Ollivander know about the wand? Fourth, what was he going to do with the Weasley girl?

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

Greetings! A new year is coming up in a few hours (as of now it's only nine hours more or less). I honestly can't believe 2010 is over (yes, I know it's cliché to say that). What is/are your new year's resolution(s)?

Thank you for your reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy my stories.

Happy New Year!


	4. Chapter 4

He got home late. The Dark Lord had made him stay longer to make replenishing potions. Apparently the Lord found out some interesting information from Ollivander and was going to Romania to follow a lead. Most likely it concerns the wand he's looking for. It was probably for the better, the Dark Lord kept a low profile when he was out of the country and the Death Eaters were to afraid to make the wrong action that they cause less havoc than usual.

The sun was starting to rise. It wasn't late, it was very early. He was exhausted, but he didn't have time to rest. The day was about to start and he had work to do. He supposed he could take an Invigoration Draught to give him an energy boost. His muscles were aching and when he stretched his back he heard it crack multiple times.

He removed Ginevra's wand from his pocket. Draco handed the other wands to his father and one of them worked better for Lucius than Ginevra's wand. Speaking of, he headed over to the bedroom to check on her.

He saw her sitting on the bed; her back leaned against the head board and her hands wrapped around her legs. She looked at him the moment he entered the room. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn't slept since he left. Slowly she made her way to him. He didn't move, he couldn't move. He didn't know what to do. She walked to him and when she reached him she let out a strangled sob.

"Severus," she croaked. "I was so afraid,"

His eyebrows shot up when he realized she talked and then he became conscious of the fact that she had addressed him with his first name instead of the usual 'sir' 'professor' or 'slimy git'. He took her in his arms as she started shaking. He felt her hold on him, she held him so tight as if she was afraid he was going to disappear. "It's ok, I'm here now," he whispered.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I-I thought you were-," she couldn't continue. She buried her face in his chest again. She kept saying incoherent things. She was going to start hyperventilating again if Severus didn't put a stop in it.

"Ms. Weasley," he whispered trying to get her attention. Nothing. "Ginevra!" he said with more force.

She stopped crying and looked up at him again. "Don't call me that!" she snapped. Her eyes grew wide immediately when she realized she just snapped at him. "I'm sorry sir," she begged, biting her lips. He smiled encouragingly at her, it was first time he was so happy that someone snapped at him. His smile seemed to bring her courage. "Please call me Ginny, sir."

He wiped away the tear stains in her cheeks with his thumb. "Then call me Severus. I think we're past formality since we're sharing a bed."

She diverted her gaze from his. He thought that his statement had gone too far. He was about to apologize when she spoke. "I couldn't sleep. I tried to but it didn't feel right," she confessed. He nodded and led her to the bed. They both got under the covers. She looked at him with such innocence. For a moment it didn't feel like he was a death eater, for a moment it didn't feel like he had killed Dumbledore, for a moment it didn't feel like he lived the life of a hundred men, for a moment he felt just as innocent as she was. "Severus, please stay," she whispered softly. Her hand clutched his shirt as if it were life support.

He leaned to her and kissed her forehead softly. He saw her eyes close and she subconsciously moved her head to his chest. He held her in his arms, inhaling her scent, which smelled like his bath soap. The past weeks of living with her had come naturally. It felt like he had always shared his bed, like he'd always had company when eating, like he'd always had a companion in his house. He had realized that he liked having her around, that his life didn't seem as lonely when he was with her.

Work can wait a while, for now they will rest.

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She was finally talking to him. Conversations weren't exactly flowing through but he found that he appreciated her presence even in the silence. There were plenty of topics they avoided: her time with Bellatrix, how he killed Dumbledore, and the war. Other than that, they still managed to open up about each other. Over the days he had actually gone to look forward to finish his duties as headmaster just to sit and talk with her.

They stuck to light hearted topics. He found out just how passionate she was about Quidditch, despite his displeasure, though he did notice a remnant of her old self that seeped through making the whole hour of listening about Quidditch worth it. She also inquired about her classmates, he mentioned that they were struggling with the new regime but they were alright. She changed topics after that. He would have told her more light hearted topics about himself but couldn't find anything to tell her that wouldn't conflict him. He couldn't tell him about his friends, who basically tempted him to join the ranks of the Dark Lord, he couldn't tell her about Lily, because that would bring up too many questions, and he couldn't tell her about his family, because he himself has been trying to forget them. So he let her talk, and he listened.

During their private lessons, she would listen intently. He noticed that she had breezed through all the work she'd missed and was doing well with the advanced lessons. It was most likely because she didn't have any distractions, or maybe it was because she was actually focusing on her school work for once. Whatever it was it made the teacher in him very proud.

Contrary to popular beliefs, he actually did enjoy teacher. He just had an unfair expectation from his students; after all, Potions could be very dangerous given the right conditions. But he did miss teaching.

When he had to attend faculty meetings or manage the disciplinary actions of student he found himself missing his room. It took him a while to realize that it was not his room he missed but the person in it.

"For the first time, I can't wait the school year is over and done with," he heard Minerva saying when he passed the faculty room. "This is the hardest thing I've had to endure. If it weren't for the students I would have left,"

"I know," the voice of Pomfrey said. "I have students coming to me and most of the time I would keep them in my office because they're too afraid to be out there. The Carrows are even demanding that they be able to search the common rooms for students who are skipping classes. Of course _Snape_ granted them permission." She said Severus' name with such vehemence that Severus actually flinched. "Damn that man."

Severus inhaled deeply trying to calm his nerves. He had to endure, for Lily, for Albus, for the war, for Ginny. This was his punishment.

The school year was ending and the students were on their way back to their homes. If they have any brains left they would leave the country. He knew that Death Eaters were going to watch them but with Voldemort elsewhere it wouldn't be difficult for most of them to slip past the guards. He also knew that most of the Slytherins would join ranks with Death Eaters.

He made his way to his office. It's been a long afternoon and he felt miserable.

When he entered the room the first thing that greeted him was Ginny. He did not expect her to be there. His private quarters were connected to the office but he had explicitly forbidden her to be in his office. It was only because he was glad to see a hint of the old Ginny that he remained calm and did not start yelling. "I thought I told you that this office is out of bounds."

"The school year has ended. Everyone is leaving, and all the teachers are packing, there's no one on this floor but us," she answered. She did have a point and he couldn't fault her for her reasoning.

"And what if I had company on my way here?"

She pointed at a small glass displayed on one of the shelves. "There's a mirror here that shows who's on their way to the headmaster office. Professor Dumbledore told me."

Severus rubbed his temples vigorously. He glared at the portrait of the pervious headmaster, even after death he still managed to make Severus' life very difficult. Ginny eyed him as he made his way behind his desk. She bit her lower lips but a flash of the retched Gryffindor braver reached her eyes. "Severus," she said slowly, "That's not the only thing he told me." He gulped. _Please say it isn't so_, he thought. "He told me that you killed him because he asked you to," Ginny continued.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He would kill the old man again if given the chance, and this time he would actually enjoy it. "I work for Voldemort and I killed Dumbledore under Voldemort's order," he started calmly.

Ginny stood up; she placed her hands on his desk and leaned towards him. Her eyes were begging. "Please Severus... tell me that what he told me is truth."

_Stupid old man_. He sighed and motioned for her to go to their private chambers. He closed the door and made sure to lock it and put a silencing spell. It would be suicide if they were overheard by the wrong people. He sat her on the couch and held her hand. "This information could be the death of you. It could be the death of both of us," he told her seriously. "If the Dark Lord finds this out, we could both die." He tried his best to express how grave the situation was.

"I just want to know if you're in our side because I don't want to be a Death Eater and I would feel better if I knew you weren't trying to make me into one," she insisted.

"Don't you think I'm trying to figure out a way to keep you safe without risking my life or yours? If I don't do what the Dark Lord ordered me to do then I'm dead. I know that it may sound selfish but I don't want to die," he hissed.

"I don't want you to die. And I'd feel better about wanting you not to die if I knew you were still on our side. You have no idea how much I hated myself for thinking that I was depending on our worst enemy aside from Voldemort himself." He managed not to flinch at the name. "I was willing to serve him Severus; I was so afraid that I would be brought back to Bellatrix that I would have served him. She is insane. She's worse than Riddle, Sev. I wanted to die.

Then when I heard that you were supposed to prepare me? I didn't know what to think. I was so terrified that you would be like her but you weren't. You were everything she wasn't. I felt safe around you. Then I figured you were trying to get me to care for you enough so I would willingly serve him. And you know what? I would have. That day when your mark started to burn I thought for sure you were going to bring me to him. But you didn't. I tried to sleep but I kept waking up because I thought you might come back for me and drag me to him. But then I realized I didn't care all that much because I've grown dependent on you. I hated myself for it but I couldn't help it. I can't even read my textbook properly when I can't see you, how pathetic is that?

But if you tell me that you're with us. That you didn't kill Dumbledore because of Voldemort, then I wouldn't hate myself so much. I'll follow you to wherever Severus because I owe you for saving my sanity." When she finished, her breathing was heavy. He saw, for the first time in months, a clear vision of the old Ginny Weasley, the girl who had the spark in her eyes.

He noticed that one of her hands fit comfortable in his. He cupped her face with his other hand. "I don't know why the old coot decided to tell you that, when he did he risked both our lives, but yes, he asked me to do him a favour. It was young Mr. Malfoy who was supposed to do the dead, but Dumbledore didn't want the boy's hands to be tainted by murder so he asked me instead."

She didn't look relieved. It looked more like a triumphant 'I knew it' look. She put both hands at the back of his neck and pulled him close to her. Their foreheads touched and he could feel her steady breath on his face. Her eyes closed, so did his. He could feel his heart beating peacefully. His mind was empty. All he knew was that everything was alright. They stayed in that position for a while, as if neither of them wanted to break the peace. He knew at that moment that he needed her in his life.

She eventually leaned closer and pressed her lips against his cheek. It was a friendly gesture; he ignored the pang of disappointment and smiled at her.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

So how'd you like it? Remember to leave a review before you go!


	5. Chapter 5

They packed for their journey back to his home. She was well organized, which according to her was due to years of packing for Hogwarts while trying not to lose any valuables to the sticky hands of the twins. It was calming to know that almost everything was out in the open. She was visibly more relaxed around him now. He had not realized just how beautiful she was when she smiled until he saw it on her face for a while. It was refreshing. Weeks of her reclusiveness seemed to be eons ago.

"Are you ready?" he asked her when he saw that she was sitting leisurely on one the suitcases he gave to her.

She nodded. "Need a hand?"

He shook his head. "I'm finished." He reached in his pocket and produced her wand. She gaped at it and he handed it to her. "Since I have an inkling that you wouldn't try to kill me and escape," he told her.

"You couldn't have given it to me before I packed? I would have save plenty of time," she retorted with a glare. He could see the gratefulness and friendliness behind her eyes though.

He smirked. "Hmm, I guess you're right... oh well." She stuck her tongue at him and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Before we leave, wear this." He handed her a dark cloak with a hood in it. "It's vital that the less people who know you're with me the better. As I told you before, your parents think you're out of the country, so it's better if they don't worry about you." She nodded and wore the cloak. The hood covered her vibrant hair.

They flooed to a public wizard pub nearest to his place. He did not have his house connected to the floo network and he did not think he would be able to apparated both Ginny and their things.

He saw Ginny look around the dingy place. The bar man greeted him with familiarity as he, Severus, was a usual patron to the place during the summer. The pub hadn't changed much at all since Severus first went. The stool where he sat the first night he received his dark mark stood in the corner, and the booth where he drank himself to a stupor was a reminder of the night he had his first kill. It was only the barman, Ken Grover, who had changed. The once young and strong man turned into the old fellow with white in his hair and a cane to support himself.

"School's over Professor? Or is it Headmaster now?" Ken asked. "Bought a friend over I see."

Severus forced a smile. "Yes, Ken. School's over," he answered, ignoring the statement about Ginny. He knew Ken was a smart enough man not to push further.

He hailed a taxi to take them to his house. He noticed that Ginny looked at the car interestedly. She told him that the only cars she had ever seen was a flying one, which her brother and Potter drove to the Whomping Willow (Severus sneered as he remembered finding the two of them), and ministry owned cars, that the previous Minister provided to keep Potter safe during Black's escape (Again Severus sneered, this time because of his displeasure with Potter being treated differently just because of the stupid brat's undeserving fame).

"That's your home?" Ginny asked when the taxi stopped and dropped them in front of a brick house that looked big enough for four people.

He nodded as he paid the taxi driver and took their belongings from the trunk. Ginny pulled her trunk along, waiting for Severus to unlock the house.

He observed her reaction carefully. She didn't have much to say but years of being a spy made it easy to read her. He noticed that she didn't look too excited to be staying in his place, not that he could blame her but he was oddly disappointed.

"It's not much, but I only live here two and a half months a year so I don't bother making it homey," he explained.

She nodded. For the first time he tried seeing his house from the perspective of someone who had never set foot in it. It was far from friendly, the wet weather outside made it smell dank, there was a layer of dust on the furniture, books upon books were piled up in a floor to ceiling bookshelf, and the couches looked worse for wear. Yes, he really could not blame her for not liking the place at all.

He led her to one of the bedrooms, the guest bedroom, not that anyone had ever really stayed there. She turned to him questioningly when he placed her bags there. "This seems small," she said.

"Small? I highly doubt you need more space," he said coolly. It was smaller than most of the rooms, but he knew it would be big enough for her. He thought the Weasley were supposed to be poor, so why would she complain about the room.

She stared at him incredulously. "This isn't your room?"

"Of course not, this is yours. I assume you'd be glad to have your own."

She bit her lips and stared at his shoes. "Oh, I just assumed that since... I don't know, I just figured I'd be sleeping with- well, with you." Her cheeks flushed red when she said this.

He didn't know what to think. He assumed that she would be glad to have her own room. While he was glad to know she still wanted to stay with him, he thought that it was time for her to get used to being alone. "Yes, well now we don't have to." He sensed disappointment but shook it off.

They stood awkwardly, both unsure what to do next, when his stomach growled. He groaned and could feel his face flush. She snickered, then chuckled, and then she started laughing, really hard. It wasn't hard for him to follow. Her laughter was infectious. "I'm afraid I have forgotten to mention that we don't have anything to eat," he told her.

She smiled at him. "It's ok, I asked one of the house elf to pack some sandwiches for us." She reached for her bag and produced two wrapped sandwiches. She handed one to him and sat on her bed and started eating hers. He sat himself next to her and started eating his own sandwich.

"Turkey, it's my favourite you know," he told her when after swallowing the delicious bread.

She nodded. "I know. You ordered it many times."

Conversation became slow and awkward for some reason. It didn't feel the way it used to. The silence wasn't comforting; on the contrary it was maddening. Soon, Severus couldn't stand it anymore and faked a yawn. "The bathroom is that way, if you need to freshen up before bed. My room is the door next to it if you need anything." She turned away from him and remained silent.

When he got ready for bed, he realized he couldn't sleep. He had gotten used to a warm body next to him that it didn't feel right sleeping alone anymore. He had realized that he never actually shared a bed with anyone before her. Yes, he'd had women he had sex with, but they never slept with him, literally slept. He'd leave them as soon as the deed was done.

He didn't know how long he'd been in bed. He'd put his blanket on then removed it, he switched pillows, nothing worked. He was tired, but he couldn't' get himself to fall asleep. About an hour or two of tossing and turning, he decided to give up. There was no point in trying to sleep in this situation. He got up and made his way to her room. He knocked softly, expecting her to be asleep.

"Severus?" she called out, she didn't sound like she just woke up. He opened the door softly and saw that she had as much trouble as he did trying to sleep. He didn't say anything. He made his way to her and got under the covers. Her arms snaked around his body as he did. He cupped her face and kissed her forehead before holding her tight. He could not deny it now; he had gotten dependent on her presence. He needed her as much as she needed him.

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He woke up, his back was sore. The bed was made for one person so he had to sleep in an uncomfortable position. But at least he managed to fall asleep. It was easy to rest when she was next to him. Her sleeping figure was the first thing he saw waking up. The soft sun grew brighter as he watched her. Eventually the light woke her up. She smiled when she saw his face.

"Tonight, we sleep in my bed. This one is too small for the both of us," he told her with a gentle grin. Her smile grew wider.

She blinked her tiredness away and got up to stretch. He noticed that she was only wearing a tank top and very small shorts. He forced himself to look away from her long pale legs that seemed to glow from the sun light.

"I'm afraid we would have to eat out. As I mentioned last night, I had forgotten to stock anything edible."

They got ready. He had decided to take a cold shower just to be sure; his body was acting in an improper manner.

Ginny gaped at him when he greeted her wearing muggle clothes. He only wore them when he was home. Contrary to popular beliefs, he grew up wearing muggle clothes. While he did prefer wizarding ones, he had to admit muggle clothes looked better. He assumed that Ginny was shocked to see him wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was sure it would be the first time any of his students saw him in these clothes.

The weather was fairly nice, considering it was usually chilly, even during the summer because they were in the northern part of the country. He held her hand as they made their way across the streets. She didn't seem to mind. Her hand fitted snugly in his. It was an odd sensation to be walking while holding someone's hands. Normally, if he did have to hold someone as they walked it was either because he was a kid and his mother insisted, or he was dragging someone. Even Lily never held his hand as they walked; he always thought it was because it was too weird for friends to hold hand. But if that was so, what was he and Ginny? Were they friends? Or something else?

"How long have you lived here?" she asked, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"All my life."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You mean, since you were a kid?"

"Yes, my mother inherited the house from her parents and I received it when my parents passed."

"Eileen Prince," she said. He turned to her, wondering how she knew his mother's name. His face must have shown what he was thinking because she continued, "Hermione. She was trying to figure out who the Half-Blood Prince was and saw a student called Eileen Prince. Eventually we found out that she was your mother."

He grimaced. Of all the things the know-it-all could research she just had to figure out his personal life. And of all the books the Potter boy could go through the idiot child had to go through his, Severus', personal belongings.

"Why the name 'Half-Blood Prince'?"

He knew that she was only curious, but it was a part of his life he would rather forget. He was a stupid boy when he thought of the name. He decided to answer, she, of all people, was the only one he felt comfortable confiding in. "I idolized the Dark Lord, and I wanted to fashion myself a new identity as well."

He saw her flinch. "What changed your mind?" she asked quietly, as if she were afraid of the answer.

"Guilt"

She squeezed his hand when he answered. She didn't reply; she didn't have to, that small gesture made it feel as if she just broke into all the walls he built up.

They reached the little coffee shop that he used to frequent as a student. Like most of the whole town, nothing had changed, only the people got older. The shop was exactly as he remembered it. They sat in one of the chairs outside, with umbrellas on top, and he ordered his usual, chicken avocado. She ordered the same. They blended in with the couples that also ate their breakfast.

"Where are we exactly?" she asked shaking him out of his reminiscence.

"We're north of the country. A town called Mill Town and the street I live in is Spinner's End."

"What your childhood like?"

He frowned. "It was not perfect." She reached out to him and touched his hand. "My father was against magic and often got angry when my mother would perform magic. He would say it was unnatural and it was evil. Of course it wasn't something she could always control, and when she couldn't, he got drunk. There were times he would hit her, and I always would hate myself for being unable to do anything after. When I was in sixth year, I heard she died falling down the stairs. But I knew the truth, I knew he had one drink to many and had another row with her."

She squeezed his hand again. That simple gesture warmed his heart. "I killed him after, he was my first kill."

She stood up. For a moment his heart stopped, afraid she would leave him. He hated himself for driving her away. But she moved her chair next to his. She placed her head on his shoulder. They didn't, at all, look like a tortured soul and a murderer; they just looked like two people enjoying each other's company while having lunch. And for a moment that's what Severus felt like.

**A message form TemperedRose:**

Just to warn you... there will be smut in a future chapter, you know, in case some of you out there aren't up for it.

Thank you for all your reviews and I hope you'll review this one as well.


	6. Chapter 6

They watched the fireplace burning. Well she watched it; he was reading an article from Potion Digest. Her hand played with the hair on the back of his head, making him feel drowsy. It was surprising how comfortable they became with each other. They slept in the same bed, they ate every meal together, they started referring to his house as their home and he even referred to a certain chair, or couch as hers. They were a couple in every sense other than the fact that they weren't.

"You should cut your hair."

He nodded distractedly. There was an interesting piece on how pixie eggs could affect the brewing process of a Fire Protection Potion. The next was an Arab potioneer discussing how to properly produce the most sap out of a Bollinder root. He was reminded that he needed to visit the apothecary.

"Why don't you cut your hair?"

"Why don't _you_?"

He heard her sigh. She got out of the chair and left the room. He probably should apologize but he was not one for apologizing for something stupid that isn't really his fault. He engrossed himself in the book.

_Snap_

_Snap_

_Snap_

"What in bloody-"

"Hush, I'm cutting your hair."

He froze as he felt her hands running through his locks. He wasn't sure whether he was grateful or scared that she was behind him holding a pair of scissors. The snapping sounds the scissors made weren't very comforting. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yeah," she said. Severus gulped, she didn't sound too confident.

He slowly started relaxing as she pulled locks of his hair. She moved from the back to the side and next thing he knew she had her knees plopped down on either side of him as she intently cut his bangs. His book dropped to the floor, forgotten. He kept his hair long because he had been far too lazy to go to a proper barber. He didn't see the reason to style it; he had no one he was trying to impress. Over the years his hair would grow and he would just snip it when it became long enough to tie it in the back.

"There you go." She took his chin and moved his head from side to side, admiring her work. Her hair glowed like a halo from the fire. Her eyes met his and they both tensed. She must have realized just how suggestive her position was because her eyes became clouded with embarrassment. She moved off of him and fumbled around with the scissors. He ran his hand through his hair, it felt different short. She wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Severus," she whispered. "I don't want to be a Death Eater."

It took him a few seconds to figure out what she was talking about, and then he remembered Voldemort's orders. Unless the Dark Lord was somehow defeated before the start of the school year then she practically had no choice in the matter, either she turns to one or they both die. With the order seemingly disbanded, Severus didn't have as much use as before. He doubted Voldemort would be as patient with him.

"The Dark Lord wants you to be in our ranks. He wanted the world to know that you're in our side, the only other way I could think of to do that is if..." He couldn't continue. It was a stupid idea.

"If?" Ginny persisted.

He let out a long breath. "If you marry one of his followers. That's the only reason Narcissa is considered one even though she hasn't taken the mark."

He saw Ginny lean in on him, touching his arm. "Will you?" She sounded desperate.

"What?" He feigned ignorance. He knew what she wanted.

She grabbed his collar, pulling him near her. Her eyes were begging. "Please Severus, I cannot be a Death Eater. I don't want to have his – his _mark _on me. I've already had to bear it once I will die before I do it again."

"What do you mean once?"

She let go of him and turned away. She wrapped her hands around herself. He saw a chill run through her even though it was a particularly warm evening. He placed a hand on her shoulder and he felt her tense. "My first year," she whispered with a quaver. "It was like he etched himself into me. Not physically, but I felt like a part of him entered my soul." She tilted her head to face him, her eyes were lost. "I can't do that again Severus. I can't,"

He pulled her towards him. Her hands were cold and clammy."If I marry you then there are things we would," He coughed uncomfortably. ", have to do. Our marriage wouldn't be valid unless we become," He coughed again. "- intimate."

She peered at him. He tried to read what she was feeling but he couldn't. Her emotions were too jumbled for him to get a clear understanding of. "I know that it's too much to ask of you after all you've done for me, but please consider it."

He was astounded. How could she think it would be an inconvenience for him? There was nothing inconvenient about it, for his part anyway. He was already used to having her around the house, he liked sharing his bed with her, they get along fairly well, and if it was demanded the he had to be physically intimate with her then that would be an added bonus. She was attractive, he wouldn't deny that. And he would sometimes think of her in a way someone his age shouldn't be thinking of doing with someone as young as she was.

"What about _Potter_?"

She turned away from him. He couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. "What about him? We broke up, he left and I'm here. We dated for barely a month, there's practically nothing holding us together other than the fact that my brother is with him. We didn't promise each other anything."

"I don't think it's such a good idea,"

She crossed her arms and looked away from him. "I'm sorry that I disgust you so much that you can't endure one evening with me." She stood up and walked away from him.

He rubbed his temples tiredly. What did he get himself into? All he's thinking about is her well being and she accuses him of selfishness? He let himself cool down. He didn't want to follow her but his feet had a different idea. He made his way to the bedroom. She wasn't there. He searched for her and found her in the guest bedroom. She was balled up tightly in a foetal position. He slipped himself into bed with her.

"I'll ask the Dark Lord for permission but I can't make any promises," he told her softly. He felt her nod.

She shifted her position so they were facing each other. "Severus, do I repulse you?"

He leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "You are the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on," he told her truthfully.

"I used to hate you, you know." He knew. Everyone hated him. Even before he killed Dumbledore he knew that most of the students hated him. They didn't think he heard them calling him a greasy git, a bat, or a crooked nosed snake. It was insults he had grown accustomed to. "But now I can't imagine not loving you just as much. No matter which side of the war wins I can't imagine a life without you there. How strange it that? Last year I was wishing you would die in the darkest depth of eternal pain, but now all I want is to be with you. You are the bravest man I've ever met. You're amazing."

He didn't know why her face started getting closer. He inched forward as well. He could feel her breathe warming him. Her lips were just a whisper away. His heart was pounding. His breathing became irregular. Then, he felt soft lips on his. They stayed like that for a few seconds before he turned away.

He remembered his first kiss, it was from Lily. They were fifteen and she had visited his house and excitedly told him that she had been made prefect. She jumped into his arms and accidentally gave him a peck on the lips instead of the cheeks. She looked away blushing after and didn't mention it. The next was during his sixth year. He had started dating a fellow Slytherin and they kissed when they first received their marks. Eventually she left him for another Death Eater. The rest after were hasty kisses in dark alleys as he tried to cover his guilt and anger in a haze of passion and lust.

This kiss was sweet, comforting, and loving. He didn't feel awkward or forced or weird. It felt right. There was no other word to describe it. Kissing her felt like it was something he was supposed to do. She didn't blush but looked straight in his eyes.

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His body was sore. His head hurt, his breathing was haggard, and his mind was jumbled. But he was relieved. After months and months of searching for the blasted _Potter_ boy he had finally found him and had successfully given the boy Gryffindor's sword. The boy was as oblivious as always.

When he got home, he was greeted with an aroma of mouth watering spaghetti and toast. Ginny stood by the kitchen, wearing one of his aprons, holding a ladle in one hand and the pot on the other. He walked silently to her figure and snaked his arms around her as he took another long sniff of the food. He rested his head on her shoulder contently.

He had seen her brother. He saw her brother destroy this odd locket, which made it feel like a horde of dementors were nearby when it was opened. He didn't know if he should tell her. He couldn't, not yet. During a conversation with Voldemort, he requested that he marry Ginny instead of her turning into a death eater. Surprisingly, the Dark Lord agreed. He was to be married to Ginny on her seventeenth birthday, in a week.

When he told her this, she was surprisingly accepting. Since they kissed that night, they went back to their comfortable relationship. He had not touched her lips since but it wasn't far from his mind. He found himself getting excited with the marriage, something he swore to himself he wouldn't think was permanent. He knew that when it was over and if Voldemort was defeated she would probably go running back to her old life. She would divorce him, marry Potter and pretend that her liaison with him never happened. And if he, Severus, managed to survive the war, he would either be shipped to Azkaban, where he will spend the remainder of his short life, or be out casted from the wizarding world.

"I got something for you," he whispered softly in her ear. She gave him a questioning glance. He reached in his pocket and produced a ring. He had bought it her face and saw her staring at it in shock. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. It was simple.

She studied him. Her eyes were searching his, looking for something he didn't know. She had studied Occlumency with him and she had the uncanny ability to block her emotions from him. Perhaps it was because his feelings for her were conflicted or maybe it was because she was a better student than he gave her credit for. Whatever he was, he didn't know what she was thinking.

"This is beautiful." She cupped his cheek and gently stroked it with her thumb. He was ecstatic that she liked it. He let out a relieved breath and slipped the ring into her finger. It was unconventional, because they had already set a date for the wedding. But he thought she deserved that since they weren't even going to have a ceremony. An officiate was going to conduct it, one, two, three minutes tops and that would be the whole ceremony.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

Hehehe, thanks for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I think a few of you are actually disappointed by the lack of smut in this chapter but fear not, it will happen.

I need help for fanfictioners out there. I'm looking for a story called The Lord and his Lady by sephora or something. I can't find it. It's a Voldemort/Ginny story. I know, wtf but that story was really good and I'm kinda bummed out that I can't find it. If you know what I'm talking about and know if it's posted anywhere else or whatever happened to it, could you tell me please? Pretty please with a cherry on top. Thanks...

And don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

***WARNING –THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SMUT***

The wedding was simple. They had no guests, she didn't wear a dress, he didn't put on a suit, there was no reception, there was no cake, there was no band, they didn't dance, they didn't cry, they didn't exchange sweet nothings. They said their 'I do's, they kissed softly, they left the court, they went home.

Home. Their home now, technically, though they have been referring his place as 'their place' and his things as 'their things' for some time, now it was official. They were married. What was his was hers and what was hers was his. He suppressed a disgusted shudder when realized he was now officially related to Fred, George and Ronald Weasley. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would because Ginny was holding his hand.

They were both tense. They knew what would follow after. He gulped. The last time he had sex, he and his lover were drunk, lonely, and horny. They fell easily in a fit of passion and ecstasy but at the end of the day, they both felt empty. He did not even bother remembering her name because it did not matter to him. But this, he knew she, Ginny, would never not matter to him anymore. She had made a place for herself in his life, and when the war ends and she goes running back to her old life and forget about him, he knew that he would always remember her.

He led her to their bedroom. They have been sleeping together for months, why did it feel different now? Oh yeah, because they were taking the next step. He felt nervous. She didn't look calm either. He felt like they were awkward teens doing it for the first time.

He handed her a potion. "It'll make you aroused and make you forget the night. It'll also help you fantasize about someone else so you don't feel uncomfortable." He told her; omitting the fact that the potion was actually a rape potion. It was sought for in the black market because the victim would think that the person assaulting them was someone they loved, or someone they were just attracted to, so they tended to be a more willing partner.

She nodded, avoiding his gaze and took the potion from him. She left the room and made her way to the bathroom. He was glad she left because he was freaking out. He looked at himself in the mirror, damn he was old. He attempted to make himself more attractive; he put on some cologne and some breath-spray, and attempted to fix his hair. He was glad that Ginny had cut it short, it suited him better and his hair didn't look so oily. He took a deep breath, tasting the mint from the spray. He collapsed on his bed and ran his hand through his, hair.

It wasn't long before she came out of the bathroom. She had a confident look in her eyes. Similar to how she would look when playing Quidditch. He suspected that the potion had taken effect. She made her way towards in slow strides and sat next to him. Both of them were unsure of what to do next.

They turned their heads to each other at the same time. He licked his lips and saw her doing the same. Why did it seem too difficult, it wasn't like they haven't kissed before? He leaned in closer to her, for the first time it was he who was initiating it. She tilted her head upwards and he paused as their lips drew closer.

"Are you sure you-," He could not continue because her lips captured him.

He felt her tongue making its way through his mouth. She sucked on his lips and sent sensations through him that he thought were impossible to get from a kiss. He may not have known what he was doing but it was quite obvious that she did. He didn't want to think about how she learned. He kept his focus on how wonderful her lips tasted. He felt her hand crawling up his chest. He let out an unexpected moan. If this was going to go any further, he would have to lead.

He deepened his kiss, pushing her into the bed. One hand steadied himself while the other went under her shirt. He broke the kiss and went to her jaw line, smiling when she gasped. He felt her unbuttoning his shirt and he started doing the same to hers. There was a sense of urgency in both of them. He threw away her shirt and struggled to get his own off of him. He saw her looking at him with unhidden desire. He then realized something, she blushed all over.

He glanced down, her breasts moved up and down as she took deep breaths. He felt himself aroused. He bent down and buried his head on her chest. His lips playing with one as his hand enjoyed the other. Somehow, without his notice, her hands managed to get inside his pants and she stroked him. He let out a strangled sound and pulled her hand away. If she had continued what she was doing, he wouldn't have lasted long.

In revenge, he gingerly unbuttoned her pants and threw away the offending item. He watched her watching him remove her panties. Her breathing became more ragged. Her scent filled his nostrils as he tentatively touched the auburn mound. He inhaled sharply as he realized just how wet she was. He began fondling her, watching her face for her reactions. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her hands grabbed the pillow she was laying on and beads of sweat started forming on her forehead.

He placed a finger inside her, pushing deep, and felt a barrier. He froze, her eyes snapped open. She looked at him questioningly and with disappointment. He couldn't think straight. He had always thought she had given herself to the Potter boy, or one of those other floozies she dated. He had not expected her to be inexperienced. Hell, she didn't _act_ inexperienced.

His moment's hesitation made her take over. She leaned forward and caught his mouth. Her hands started fumbling with his buttons. Only when she had taken his pants off did he realize how painfully hard he was. Her hands explored his chest and started getting lower. He inhaled sharply again when he felt her hand on him. She broke her kiss and went for his neck.

He moaned. Her kisses kept going lower and lower as if she knew what she was doing. He momentarily jealously wondered if she had done anything of that sort to another person.

He had done this with many women already but for some reason it felt different. He supposed it was probably because it was the first time it actually meant something to him. All those other women were just a void used to fill him momentarily. They were only a much needed release. They didn't mean anything to him and he couldn't have cared less for them. Ginny was different, he cared for her. He really did.

He involuntarily cried out when he felt her mouth take him whole. Her hands were on his hips for support as she went down on him. He couldn't form any coherent thought as she took him. He watched her face moving up and down, her eyes locking with his as she did so. He bucked unintentionally as her tongue swirled around him. He... was ... going... to... come.

He felt intense pleasures wash over him as he felt himself release. She looked at him, droplets of white liquid drip down her lips. He took her arms and pulled her to him. She complied easily. He ravished her lips, tasting himself. He felt himself getting stimulated again. He decided to let her feel what he felt.

He continued what he was doing before he found out that she was still a virgin. His hands felt her drenched folds as he nipped at her lips. She was moaning while kissing him, getting him aroused again. Her hands scratched his back lightly. He inserted a finger in her, she inhaled deeply. He placed in two; she made a sound that almost made him come again. He broke the kiss and placed his fingers on her bottom lips, letting her taste herself before he licked her essence off her lips.

She looked at him innocently. He was astounded by how innocent she managed to look just after swallowing him whole. Her lips were swollen and her face flushed. He was enraptured by her.

He pressed her down on the bed. Kissing her softly on her collar, to her breasts, to her navel, she gasped as a shiver of excitement visibly passed through her. Her wetness glistened through her red mound. Just before he went to bury his face on her he looked at her face. She showed unhidden anticipation and pleasure in her face. He licked her salty juices and heard her groan loudly. His tongue went inside her and the sounds she was making grew louder. He felt himself get painfully excited. He continued having his way with her with his tongue. He tried gauging his performance with the sounds she made. She moaned and grunted as he felt her hands grab his hair. Finally she stopped as a wave of pleasure ran through her and warm liquid started dripping from her insides. He looked at her face again and she had a satisfied dreamy look.

He would have stopped right there but he knew that if he didn't fully consummate with her, the wedding wouldn't be valid and the Dark Lord would know. He pulled himself near her and removed a few strands of her vibrant red hair from her sweaty face. He kissed her softly on her temple and saw her eyes flutter.

"Are you ready?" he asked. His voice was raspy. She nodded, her eyes held determination.

He slowly got on top of her. He lifted her legs and she wrapped them around his waist. He positioned himself in front of her entrance as his steadied himself. She nodded again and he slowly pushed himself inside her. It took all self control he could possess to be as gentle as possible no matter how much he wanted to just take her again and again. He had to be gentle. He saw her wince and let out an audible whimper. He felt her barrier break and she gasped in pain. A small tear formed in the corner of her eyes and made its way down her face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely. He didn't move, he waited for her to adjust to his size. Eventually her legs pushed him deeper in her and he started moving. Slowly at first, as felt her walls lubricate itself again. Soon, he slid inside her with ease. He used his hands to pleasure her further since he didn't think he would last longer than he hoped for. Her eyes were locked with his the whole time as the tears she blinked away turned to pleasure. She looked at him with such love that for a moment he pretended that she hadn't taken the potion and that she was thinking about him and not someone else.

He let himself enjoy her. She writher as more waves of pleasure seemed to overcome her. He started being for aggressive as he went inside her again and again. Her groans became louder. He felt her orgasm as her walls constricted around him. It didn't take long for his own to take over him, bringing him over the edge as intense pleasures washed over him in waves. He emptied his seeds inside her before collapsing next to her.

He panted exhaustedly. They were covered with sex and sweat but he had never felt more satisfied with a woman than he did now. Sure he had sex with other woman before, but that was just sex, this is the first time he had made love to anyone. Yes, love, because he loved her. He loved Ginevra Weasley. Despite every reason he shouldn't, despite the fact that he knew she wouldn't be able to love him back, despite him being much older than she was, despite everything, he found himself loving her.

"I love you," he told her, voicing out in a raspy whisper what he wanted to shout to the heavens.

She stared at him. "I love you too."

He knew it was because of the potion. He knew that she would forget everything the next day. He knew she probably thought he was the idiot Potter boy. But for a while he would pretend it was for him. That she did love him. That it was his eyes she was looking at as she came. For a while he'll live in a fantasy. Just for a while...

* * *

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

How was it? Thanks for your lovely reviews. Power to Sev/Gin supporters XD

Until then!

PS Don't forget to leave a review!


	8. Chapter 8

He woke up feeling different. Last night was amazing and he felt his heart break because he knew she would have forgotten everything. But the first thing he saw was he eyes, looking at him. He knew she hadn't forgotten. Why?

"The potion didn't work did it?" he asked apologetically. "I didn't think I botched it but truth be told it was my first time creating it."

She shook her head. "I didn't take it."

He shot up, his head spinning momentarily at the sudden movement. He rubbed it in annoyance but turned to her. "What do you mean you didn't take it?" He sounded angry, that's because he _was_ angry. He didn't know why though. Yesterday he let himself go because he assumed she would forget it. He remembered what they did, each glorious moment and, when they came, how he confessed his love for her. He had told her of his feelings because he thought she wouldn't remember. Wait, she said she loved him too. When she said that he thought she was thinking about the Potter boy. Since she didn't take the potion, did that mean that she loved him, Severus Snape?

"Well forgive me," she snapped angrily, covering herself with the sheets. "I wanted to remember the first time I made love with someone."

Made love. Not have sex. Not fucked. But made love. Yes, that was the first time he made love with someone too. Her face was flushed, her hair ruffled, and her neck had dark marks on them from kisses. They made love last night. He didn't reply. She looked beautiful when she was flustered. He leaned in and captured her mouth again; the same mouth that gave him unbelievable joy the night before.

"I love you," he murmured as they broke apart.

"I love you too, you know I do. I've loved you for a while now Severus," she confessed.

"It's wrong though, for me to love you. I'm so much older than you, and I'm you're teacher. It's just wrong."

She dropped the sheets and placed her hands on the back of his neck. "We're married now, or did you forget?" He let out a small snort. "I know that many people would think it's odd or that we shouldn't be but I _do_ love you and nothing's going to change that. I do, Severus. I love you so much and I can't believe I do."

He tried forcing himself not to look below the neck and just stare at her eyes. "I love you too and I'm glad we're married, even if our reasons were unconventional." He failed. They were just staring at him that he couldn't help but look. By the time he snapped into his senses and look at Ginny's eyes she had noticed that he was talking to her breasts.

She smiled coyly at him. Her hands travelled south. He gasped.

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The new school year started, Severus was starting to worry. The war didn't seem to have an end. Voldemort was getting anxious. He was looking for something, and someone. One of them was the wand, which Severus discovered to be the Elder wand, was still missing and the death eaters were paying the price. The other was the Potter boy. The guy was sighted a in a few places. Snatchers here and there almost got to him, or so they said. The only reliable information they received was that one time Potter decided to visit his parent's grave. Also, the other time Severus saw him and his friend, who is now Severus' brother in law much to his displeasure. But he wasn't going to tell Voldemort that he's seen Potter.

The students were far less than before. Somehow, Minerva managed to warn new muggleborn students and send order members to help them. Of course Severus knew exactly what she was doing, but at the time, the Carrow siblings didn't. He turned a blind eye to her and feigned ignorance. Of course when found out, she was punished but by then the students were already safe.

The Dark Lord had ordered that Ginny be sent back to school and for everyone to know that she had married Severus. The reactions were great. The news tried telling it as a romantic story with no consequences because she was of age. Of course, many outraged parents sent disapproving messages but nothing too severe, they couldn't anger a known death eater.

Most of the staff members showered him with more disdain than usual. They sneered at him and spoke vehemently about him even if they knew he was around. They lost every ounce of respect. Amycus Carrow though would often make suggestive innuendos resulting in him being pinned to the wall by Severus multiple times, he was sure that Amycus had been broken by Azkaban but hen again the man was already vile before going to the retched place.

The student, mostly Gryffindors, revolted against him stronger than ever; they would glare at him in the hall ways and yell profanities. The staff, minus the Carrows, didn't bother controlling them. Even some of the Slytherins have lost their respect for him. They even helped other students with the rebellion. Graffiti would be drawn on the walls, fireworks would randomly blow up around him, and much more. It felt like three years ago, when Umbridge was headmaster. Only this time, he was the target. He had to endure.

Ginny played the part of a helpless victim forced into submission perfectly. She attended her classes, kept her head down, didn't ask too many questions, and when students or teachers would offer she would pretend to be afraid and avoid them. At night though, when they were alone in a secluded room, she was passionate.

She was also the perfect spy for him. She had told him of a secret room in the school which provided enough people a hiding place and that Aberforth had been helping them. With this information, he made sure the Carrows were always station away from the room and that Hogs Head was less supervised. Or at least have Ginny warn someone if there was a surprise inspection.

Ginny was vomiting again. She was feeling particularly under the weather lately. Most of her breakfast usually ended up in the sewers. He waved it off as the stress for the NEWTs. He remembered all the intensity when taking the test, how his head faced the toilet seat many times.

"Maybe you should stay in," he told her when she entered the room with a disgusted look.

She wiped her face with a napkin. "And have them mocking you? No thanks." She had taken a habit of walking with him as much as she can when she realized that people didn't do anything to him when she was around.

"I can handle one day. I've been handling this kind of attention for fifteen years; it's not a big deal. I remember when it was _you_ who would call ma a 'vile nasty evil greasy bat', did I get that right?" He smirked.

"Don't forget amazing lover," she retorted shamelessly.

He let a faint smile rest in his face. He continued reading the morning paper while watching her from the corner of his eyes. She played with her porridge but didn't actually eat it. He sighed as he heard the clock chiming, signalling the start of the day. In his room he could pretend that it was just him and Ginny in the world with nothing else.

He placed the paper down and waited for Ginny to get her things. He handed her an apple and told her to eat before classes. She smiled at him gratefully and kissed him hungrily as if he was the apple. When she broke it off, he could feel his face heating up. She gave him unwanted fantasies when she wore her uniform. He had never, ever, in all his life of being a teacher, found a student invading his sexual fantasies, Ginny somehow broke that. Maybe because in bed he had removed those clothing from her and watched her collapse on top of him wearing only that tie. He shook his head, he needed to focus.

He must not have hidden his desires as properly as he thought because Ginny leaned in. "You fantasize now and later you'll get a live show," she whispered mischievously.

She _was_ trying to kill him.

-0-0-0-

The day went through uneventfully enough. That is until the evening when they were about to retire for the night. Draco had flooed unexpectedly, looking haggard and pale. His appearance kept worsening every time Severus saw him.

"I saw him," Draco said. "I saw Potter. Some snatchers captured him and his friends and brought them to our house. There was something wrong with his face though because it was all swollen, I think the Granger girl did it to him. My aunt and father were unsure if it was him, I mean they couldn't call you-know-who until they were certain so they called me. I knew immediately it was him but I told them I didn't know, to buy them time. They placed them in the dungeon but somehow they used the crazy house elf to bust them out."

"Dobby?" asked Ginny from the door. She was wearing one of Severus' long shirts, it reached until her knees. He had just discarded her clothes when Draco interrupted them. Her feet were bare and Severus saw Draco eying her up and down. He wanted to hit the boy.

"Draco," Severus hissed in a warning tone. Draco looked at his former professor then back at Ginny. His jaws were wide open and only when Severus repeated his name did he snap out of it. He stammered incoherently.

"How's Harry?" Ginny sat down next to Severus and placed a hand on Severus as if showing Draco that they were together. While he was glad for the gesture, he did not appreciate her asking about the Potter boy.

"He didn't look to well, but I didn't really have to chance to inquire, Weasley" Draco retorted, going back to his arrogant attitude towards the Weasleys.

Her eyes flashed dangerously at him. "It's Snape," she said coolly. "Ginny Snape" Draco nodded nervously. Severus felt a sense of joy inside him erupt. He had never heard anyone say that name, and to hear it first from her lips was heart warming.

"Was my brother with him?"

Draco gulped. "Yes, I've seen him look better but he didn't look hurt," Draco answered in a kinder voice. He turned to Severus. "I think they're planning something. I think there's going to be a battle coming up soon. Just be prepared." He stood up. "I've got to go; they don't know I went here."

Severus watched as he disappeared from the fireplace. He felt Ginny hold his hand. "You think they're alright?"

Severus shrugged. "Well, they've made it through until now, so I suppose they must be doing something right." He kissed her hand. "Things will work out in the end."

She leaned in to him, as if she needed to be physically closer to him. "I hope you're right."

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Ginny didn't come back the next night. He waited her to finish her class, come to their room and have dinner, but she didn't. His mark started to burn. Something was going on, something bad.

He headed for the Ravenclaw common room, someone had been apprehended. He figured it was Potter. With the news from Gringotts, apparently someone had successfully managed to break into Lestrange's vault and steal something. He figured that that someone was in fact Potter, which would mean Draco was correct. The battle was coming up.

"Who's there?" a voice he recognized as Minerva's said.

He lit his wand and showed himself. "It is I" he said in a low voice.

She looked at him in unhidden contempt. He could see her intentions clearly. Someone was there, perhaps hidden in an invisibility cloak. He looked around, trying to figure out where Potter could possibly be. He gripped his wand out, knowing that if Potter _was _around, being unarmed was the last thing he needed.

"Where are the Carrows?" he asked quietly.

"Wherever you told them to be, I expect, Severus," Minerva said.

He looked at the empty space near Minerva. "I was under the impression that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."

"Really?" Minerva asked. "And what gave you that impression?"

He instinctively clutched his arm, where the dark mark was etched into his skin, when figure appeared into him.

Harry Potter threw away his invisibility cloak revealing himself to Severus. Severus spotted an uncertain looking Ravenclaw behind him, but Severus didn't have time to think of her. Harry had brandished his want at his former teacher threateningly.

"You perverted psychopath! How dare you touch her! How dare you lay your greasy hands on her!" Severus was actually worried for his life. He had never seen the boy that angry. He held his wand steady as the boy came closer, ready to defend himself.

"I'm going to kill you!" He sent a spell. Severus dodged and moved back hastily. Minerva sent another spell after. He blocked it. "You can run now, but I swear I will haunt you down and kill you myself!"

Severus ran, he ran until he managed to jump out of a window away from the angry boy, no, man. He had to admit, Harry Potter had turned to a man. He had to find Ginny, he had to make sure she was safe; he had to get Harry to somehow listen to him. But first, Voldemort was summoning him.

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He was dying. Voldemort had ordered his snake, Nagini, to kill him and so he lay dying. He had failed Dumbledore; he hadn't given Harry the information he needed. He had failed Lily; he could not protect her son as well as he should have. He had failed Ginny; she would have to raise their child without him. Yes, in his dying moment, when he heard Voldemort order the snake to kill him, he had realized the reason why his wife was throwing up during the morning. She was with his child.

He felt his blood gushing out, it was a futile effort but he wanted to live. A year ago, he would have accepted death freely, but he wanted to live. He wanted one last kiss from Ginny, he wanted to hold her one last time, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her, and but most of all he wanted to tell her that he was glad they created a life together.

A movement in the corner came to his attention. It was the Potter boy. Had he come to gloat? Severus didn't care. He was at least going to fulfil one last promise. He grasped Harry's robes when the boy came closer. Harry's eyes held contempt but beneath were an underlining of forgiveness. For the first time, Severus acknowledge just how much like Lily Harry truly was. It was regretful that he did not see it sooner.

"Take...it," he told the boy as he choked on his own blood.

He thought of his life, what he wanted Harry to see. He thought of his time with Lily, being her friend, how much she meant to him. He loved her. She was his first love and he will forever love her. His worst memory, when he accidentally called her a mudblood, it was one of his biggest regrets. When she begged for her forgiveness but she wouldn't accept. When he found out that Voldemort had planned on killing her and her family, how he had begged Dumbledore to keep them safe. How he had offered his services to protect Harry. How he had promised Dumbledore that he would kill him when the time came. And then, last, the memory of when he told Ginny that marrying her would mean she wouldn't have to take the Dark Mark. He omitted the part where they slept in the same bed, or confessed their feeling for each other.

"Look at me," he told the boy. He looked into his eyes and saw his friend greeting him.

He turned away and felt for his pocket. He produced a small picture, and he stared at it. He was dying and he wanted to see her one last time. Slowly darkness seemed to capture him.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

Well I hope you like the end of the story...

I'm just kidding, there's more coming up. I wouldn't leave you hanging now would I? That's just cruel!

Ok, I guess I was a dead give away with the potion. It _was_ pretty obvious though I guess. But damn, _every_ review mentioned the potion, hehehe. I had it coming I guess.

To .Snape, I think that if Ginny did take the potion she would still have been thinking of Severus, but if she did take eh potion she would have forgotten most of the events that transpired during the night. Had it been a different situation or if she took the potion earlier in the story, she would have been thinking about Harry.

Leave a review!


	9. Chapter 9

There were almost a million things running through his head. First and foremost, Voldemort was dead. After years of his life revolving around the man, he was finally dead. It was pure relief to know that he was finally gone. Harry could finally rest. It was rather symbolic for the man, if one could still call him that, to die on the eve of All Saint's Day, exactly sixteen years from when he first killed Harry's parents.

Second were the deaths of his friends. He couldn't believe how many people have sacrificed themselves to fight for what they believed in. His chest constricted when he thought of little Teddy and the parents who now rested eternally. He would make sure that Teddy's childhood would be nothing like his. He would be there for the orphan child and care for him.

Third was also a death, but one death in particular, Severus Snape. He had been shocked when he saw the man's memories. Snape loved his mother so much that he lived his life protecting Harry. It was bittersweet knowing this. He wished he wasn't so cruel to him when he last saw Snape before he died. He had threatened Snape's life, which was ironic because now he wished the man was still alive.

When he heard that Ginny had married Snape he was furious. He was sure that Snape somehow forced her into it and tortured her. He loved Ginny and he hated himself when he found out that she was with Snape. His mind went on overdrive, thinking of the things he had forced her to do, that when he saw the man, he wanted his blood.

Then he finds out that it was done to protect Ginny? He was astounded. Snape had endured everything that was thrown his way only to protect one of his students. He must have known what people would think, but he risked that to keep Ginny safe. Harry was jealous of Snape; he managed to protect the only girl Harry had ever loved. Snape was the true hero, not him.

Snape was hated. Snape was attacked by the very people he was protecting. Snape protected the son of the woman he loved and the man he hated most. Snape reformed from his previous ways and served Dumbledore loyally. Snape killed the only man he ever respected to keep a student innocent. Snape endured the hatred to ensure the safety of the school.

Harry left the Gryffindor tower and decided to see the after effect of the war. He saw many people recuperating. The morning sun illuminated the ruined castle. Many had died, but it was so that more can live on. They were the heroes, not him.

He decided to be with loved ones. Ginny greeted him, many others followed when they saw her go to him.

Her eyes were wet with tears. Her brother had died and she was in mourning. They were all in mourning. He held her close. He didn't have to be away from her anymore, the war was over. They could be together now. He missed her, oh how he missed her.

A year ago, he was comforted only by the fact that she was safe in America. Then when he got to Hogwarts he realized it wasn't true, but that didn't matter because she was here alive and well.

He held her face gently and kissed her.

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"_You stole my son's girlfriend!" teased a voice he hadn't heard in a long time but will never forget said._

"_Pardon?" The light was too bright and he didn't know where he was._

"_Sevy got himself a girlfriend," the voiced said, laughing softly._

_The place he was in started to become cleared. It was a playground he often went to as a boy. The old swing set where Lily often played in was visible. It sat there as if thirty years had no effect on it. She sat on one so he made his way to the other. He touched the metallic chain; it was just as he remembered it._

_She wore a nice muggle sundress that he thought he'd seen a life time ago and he looked down on himself. He had an old muggle shirt that he used to wear frequently as a young boy, somehow it fit him perfectly. _

"_I'm sorry." It was the first thing he wanted her to know._

_She smiled at him. She looked just as she did the last time he saw her. "Don't be Severus, it wasn't your fault, not entirely. But I forgive you, for everything. I should have forgiven you a long time ago."_

_The sun was shining, or was it even the sun? It was bright enough. He looked at her, she was as beautiful as he recalled. They sat there, going up and down. He didn't know what to tell her. After years of wishing she was still alive, now that she was in front of him, he didn't know what to tell her. Finally he decided to confess something he had kept inside for a long time. "I loved you, you know. I still do."_

"_I know. I wasn't blind. I knew that was the real reason James hated you, I just couldn't get myself to love you the way you loved me. I did love you though, as a friend."_

_He nodded. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. For the longest time he kept telling himself that if only he admitted it to her, then maybe she would have felt the same thing. But to find out that she did know, and didn't feel the same thing. He found it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to care much at all._

"_Doesn't matter anyway, you found yourself your own redhead," she smiled teasingly at him. "So I guess everything turned out for the best."_

_He shook his head. "It didn't. I died remember?"_

"_Or are you?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Lily stopped swinging and stared at him. "Remember Snape, we can't choose who we love. Look at James, I never thought I would love him but I did. I guess I always did but I never realized it. Also, I hope you learn to take a page out of James' book. He loved me and he never gave up. So, don't give up on the one you love."_

_He was still confused. What was she on about? He was dead, wasn't he?_

_She took his hand as they started swinging together. For some reason, he didn't need to try maintaining balance. They swung up and down, getting higher and higher. "Jump Sevy," she told him. "Jump and go."_

_He took a leap of faith._

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He felt groggy, as if he fell fifty feet, was trampled on by a dozen hippogriffs and then was made to drink twenty litres of fire whiskey. He woke up with Pomfrey surveying him. She didn't look hostile, as she usually did, but rather uncertain. "Quite the scare you had us in Headmaster."

He frowned as she handed him a glass of water to clear his throat. He saw that he was in the infirmary and there were many other people there with him. Most of them he knew, others only looked familiar, but what struck him the most was that plenty were students. He was relieved, yet disappointed, when he didn't see a single redhead. "What happened?"

"Ms. Weasley brought you here in hysteria. I almost didn't but she begged me to help you and told me everything you did for her, for Dumbledore, for the school. You're a braver man than I thought Severus, and I owe you an apology." He saw her eyes were turning red.

He brushed her off. "I knew the risks when I took the job. Story of my life, that's all."

He touched his neck. The bandage was damp with what smelled like a healing solution. He remembered all the blood, and Potter, and the snake. "What about the battle?"

She smiled softly. "Harry killed you-know-who. He's gone," she answered before leaving him to attend to the other patients.

Severus ran his hand through his hair. He saw his mark had almost faded completely. It looked more like a light bruise than a tattoo. He was relieved. The Dark Lord was finally gone. He left the infirmary, Pomfrey didn't even notice him leaving since she was too busy. And other day she would have been pulling him by the ear to get him back to bed but this wasn't like any other day. No, this day would probably go down in history books.

The school was in ruins, the walls were cracked, the paintings were torn up, the armours were scattered on the ground. The castle was sad because of all the deaths that occurred inside her, she was mourning for the loss. But she was also happy because everyone was safe now. The night had disappeared and the day was new.

Severus saw people stare and whisper at him. None of them knew if they should attack him or leave him alone. He learned to ignore them, just as he had for years. He saw many familiar faces, their scars were worn proudly. They had fought the good fight and they won.

He turned the corner and saw his heart crash. Ginny was in the arms of the Potter boy, their lips locked together. He moved back, so they wouldn't see him. Yes, he knew that Ginny would run back into the boy's arms when the war was over. Yes, he knew that Ginny deserved someone better than him. Yes, he knew that their time together was just something she was forced into. But for some reason, he wished that Voldemort was still alive so that he could continue pretending that he mattered to her.

He waited a while, trying to calm himself before continuing his walk. He made a point to ignore them and to inspect the damage done to the castle. It would be quite the repair. No one noticed his presence, they were all comforting each other with the deaths of people they all know. No one took notice of him until that is, when Ginny yelled his name. It was like someone turned off the sounds.

She made her way confidently to him with Potter following after. The boy looked at him in shock. "I thought you were dead?"

Severus sneered at him. "Apparently not. Disappointed?"

Potter smiled sincerely and offered his hand as a truce. "Welcome back Headmaster," he said louder than necessary, as if telling people that he, Harry, supported Severus.

Severus took the offered hand begrudgingly. Ginny wouldn't meet his eyes. He assumed she didn't know how to break it off with him. "Severus I-," she couldn't continue.

"Ms. Weasley, I suggest you go back to your family and continue with your life," he told her indifferently.

She flinched and let herself get pulled by Potter. He watched her walk away before leaving resentfully.

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He went home and sulked. He waited, she didn't come. He waited more, still she didn't come. Three days later he saw the paper and it was written that she and the stupid Potter boy were getting married and that they were expecting a child. _His_ child.

On the fourth day she came.

"It stinks," she said as she entered. She didn't even knock; she had her own set of keys that he had given her months ago.

He watched her walking about the house. He didn't move to greet, or to even acknowledge her. He crossed his arms and stared at the burnt out fireplace. He saw her give him a look of uncertainty from his peripheral vision.

She held her hand to her stomach, it was still small but there was a barely visible lump. "I'm preg-"

"I know"

"How?"

He sneered. "You vomited every morning for a while. It would have taken a complete dunce for someone not to notice."

She glared at him. "I thought you'd have wanted to know. But I guess there wasn't a point in me coming here."

"Go have Potter take care of that," he said coolly. He felt his gut quench at the thought of Potter taking over for his duty as a father.

"He told me everything," she whispered. "He told me how you loved his mother, how you sacrificed everything for her. Tell me Severus, did you really love me or did you just see me as a replacement for someone you could never get?"

He glared at her. "You think you can replace her? She was irreplaceable," he growled. "She was _nothing_ like you. How could you even think you could compare to her? You're very different from her. You're completely different people. What I felt about her isn't what I felt about you, don't confuse yourself."

She turned away from him. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience Headmaster Snape. I promise _never_ to bother you anymore," she said detachedly before leaving.

He couldn't think of what he said wrong nor could he decipher what she was thinking. He watched her retreating figure go out in the cold. She headed over to someone who was waiting by the gate, it was Potter. Figured he would be there, Severus glared.

He took another bottle of fire whiskey.

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Maybe he should leave the country. He needed new surroundings. There was an opening in Japan for a Potion Master, but then he'd have to learn Japanese. Maybe America, the hospitals there were always looking for new potioneers. Perhaps Australia, why not a different hemisphere all together? The farther away he was the better it would be for him.

"Severus!" a voice greeted him interrupting his thoughts as he sat in the Three Broomsticks nursing a whiskey. He had been a frequent patron in the pub.

He turned and saw Minerva making her way to him. She seemed flustered but confident, the way only a Gryffindor can manage. "Minerva," he greeted her. He didn't even bother sounding cold; he reverted back to his unemotional self.

"I wanted to ask for your forgiveness, for how I and the rest of the staff treated you. We should have known better."

He smirked half heartedly; a small part of his smirk was an actual smile. "If you did, then I obviously wasn't doing my job well."

She touched his shoulder, a gesture she used to do often when he was starting out as a teacher. "You're a brave man Severus, braver than anyone ever gave you credit for." Her voice was shaky; he knew she was tearing up. "When I think about what you sacrificed for the students, for us, for the order, for Dumbledore, for Harry and for Ginny. She told us what happened you know. She told us how she was tortured from Bellatrix and she was so close to losing her sanity when you nursed her back to health. She said the only reason you agreed to marry her was so she wouldn't have to take the mark. Severus, you are a great man. I'm sure Lily would have been proud of you."

Severus stared at his glass. "I fell in love with her," he said in a barely audible whisper.

"Of course you were, everyone knew that. Lily was –"

"Not her."

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked slowly. He didn't answer her. He could almost hear her mind working, trying to decipher what he implied. He waited for her to scream at him for being a vile monster and corrupting the mind on a child.

Her lips thinned. "I guess that means you can't be headmaster anymore," she said in a teasing light hearted tone.

He sent her a questioning look. "Well, a professor is absolutely forbidden to have any form of romantic relationships with their students, so I supposed you would have to quit your job to be able to pursue her," she continued.

"Are you saying you approve?" he asked confusedly.

She snorted in a way that was so unlike her. "Are you seriously asking my approval Severus? After all this time, you, Severus Snape, are asking for my approval?" She smirked, one worth of Salazar himself. "All I know is that we don't choose who we fall in love with." He felt like he had heard that before. "My dear Alfred was twenty-four years my senior before he passed." Her late husband passed during Grindelwald's time.

"She's with _Potter_ now," he told her, spitting out the name vehemently.

She rolled her eyes. "Some things never change," she said. "I don't think it's up to either you or Mr. Potter to decide who she wants, but what I do know is that if you really love her as much as you say you do, then you would fight for her. At least when you _do_ get the girl, I get your job." She had a playful smirk.

Severus rolled his eyes. How typical of Minerva.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

Of course he's not dead! I'm not thaaat evil... hehehe

Stay tuned for the next chapter and remember to REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

He banged on the door of Grimmauld Place loudly. The paper had mentioned that the boy was staying in his late godfather's estate. It was two in the morning but he didn't care. After his conversation with Minerva, and after an alcohol booster and shots of espresso, he summoned up the strength and courage to win his woman back.

"What in bloody-," said the voice behind the door as it opened. The face of the Potter boy appeared. "Snape? What are you doing here?"

He barely took notice that the Potter boy was in sleeping clothes. He entered the house without invitation. "We're married!" he growled.

"You think I didn't notice!" Potter retorted angrily. The tiredness seemed to disappear from the boy.

"How dare you just kiss her right in front of me?"

"I didn't know you were alive then!"

"So I 'die' for barely a day and you already make a move? You're just as stupid an arrogant as your pathetic father!" The moment he said that he knew it was a mistake. He knew now that Harry was nothing like James.

Harry punched him in the nose. He felt it bleeding, but he had plenty of experience with pain that he took no notice of it. "HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT! I forgave you! And you come into _my _house and insult me. You have always seen my father in me and you will always see my mother in her! You are using her as a replacement for my mother!"

"Where in bloody merlin's name did you come up with such ridiculous ideas?"

"Ginny told me and she didn't have to. I heard you yelling it at her when she went to visit you!"

Severus froze and tried recalling her visit. His eyes widened as he realized how Ginny must have taken what he was saying in the wrong context. He collapsed on the couch and started rubbing his face vigorously. "I'm an idiot. I admit it, I am an idiot."

Harry snorted and sat next to the man. "I never thought I'd ever hear you say that," Harry said. "But while we can all agree that you are, in fact, an idiot, what made you realize this?"

"She took it the wrong way," Severus stated tiredly. He looked at the boy next to him and for the first time he didn't see James as all. "Harry," he said. He saw the boy's eyes widen at his use of the boy's first name. "Your mother was my best friend. I won't lie, I did love her. I spent most of my life being in love with her. I think she knew this, but she never let anything between us progress further. But I did love her, and I will always love her no matter what."

Harry opened his mouth to interrupt but Severus put his hands up to stop him. "I also love Ginny." Harry barely concealed a look of anger and disgust. Severus ignored it. "Ginny is nothing like your mother. Your mother was feminine and Ginny's style is more rugged. Your mother was amazing at potions but she couldn't fly to save her life. Ginny would rather die than not fly and she would probably die if she ever drank any of the potions she created. They are so different that they're incomparable. I can't replace Lily with Ginny because Lily is irreplaceable. And Ginny, she's like no one I've ever met before."

"I love Ginny, I love her in a way I never loved your mother. Your mother was my first love, and she will always be my first love, but I think- no, I _know_ Ginny is my true love and I will fight you to the end for her."

Harry looked stunned at Severus' revelation. Severus watched as he stood up and paced around the room. "What if she doesn't want you?" Harry asked.

Severus flinched; it was the one question he didn't want to think about. Nonetheless he put on a determined face. "It took your father six years to get your mother, how long do you think I need?"

Harry snorted but didn't answer.

Severus stood up as well and headed to the boy. "Now will you please let me talk to my wife?"

Harry frowned. "What makes you think she's here?"

"The prophet said that you two were engaged, I assumed she was staying with you," Severus answered slowly. "She didn't come home and I waited. I figured she chose you over me."

Harry frowned. "I wish. And since when did the prophet ever report anything true?" Harry crossed his arms. "Someone found out that she was pregnant and spun a story. She's spent her time at home, mourning for her brother."

"Brother? Ronald?"

"No, Ron's in Australia with Hermione, they're getting her parents. It's Fred who died."

Severus felt angry with himself. He was thinking only of himself and completely missed the fact that the reason Ginny hadn't come to see him earlier wasn't because she was having an affair with Potter but because her family needed her.

"Why are you here? And not trying to win her back?" he asked Potter suspiciously.

Harry glared. "Even if I did think that she doesn't have feelings for you, I would not pursue her until her marriage ended. It's not right."

"You know, for the first time, I'm glad that you're in Gryffindor. A Slytherin wouldn't have given a damn."

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He stood in front of the shabby house. He had never seen it before; Potter had to side apparated him to it. The building didn't look like it would have survived the muggle version of the law of gravity. The house looked like rooms were randomly attached to it in every direction. The whole place smelled of damp soil.

He barely registered a loud cracking sound, indicating that someone had disapparated, but apparently the residents of the house did. The figures of two people looked out the door with their wands out. Severus wasn't sure if he, too, should put his wand out, but he decided against it. He hoped that they won't curse him on site.

"Severus?" asked Arthur Weasley in surprise when the light was shone on Severus. He saw that both of them were also in their night clothes, he momentarily wondered if he should come back the next morning but thought better of it.

"Mr. Weasley, Mrs Weasley," he greeted as politely as he could manage.

It was awkward silence. The couple didn't move, neither did Severus. He wasn't sure how to react, or what to do next, when Molly broke the tension and ran to him.

"Oh Severus, thank you for saving my little girl. She told me everything you did for her! Thank you for saving her from that vile woman!" Molly screeched as she gave him a bone crushing hand.

Arthur wasn't as forgiving though. "Yeah, we all saw what you did to her," he said coolly. "That's why she's locked up in her room, she doesn't even eat properly. She's not taking care of herself or her baby properly. But I suppose you won't care, even if it is _your_ child. She said you also didn't want anything to do with the kid, so I'm telling you this now, you are _not_ part of this family and that kid will _never_ be yours."

Severus had known Arthur a long time, and in that time he had never seen the man as cold and scary as he was now. Despite this, he stood his ground. "Sir, under all the circumstances that pushed us in this situation, I grew to love your daughter. While I know that it's improper and unusual, I don't care, I do love her. I also know that I've made mistakes, in the past, and probably in the future. But I swear to you, if Ginny would find it in her heart to forgive and accept me, that I will love her everyday and I will take the best care of her and our child as long as I am able to."

Arthur didn't answer. He looked like he was in deep thoughts. A frown line appeared on his forehead. "She's been having nightmares, none of us can comfort her," the older man said, as he stepped aside giving Severus a clear way to the house.

When he ran inside, he realized he didn't know where her room was. "First floor, door to the right," Molly told him kindly. "I know she loves you, and that you love her, but remember that I killed Bellatrix for trying to hurt her and I'm not afraid to do the same thing to you."

He nodded, a part of him was frightened but he made his way to the upstairs bedroom anyway. He knocked lightly and opened the door. He saw Ginny sitting on her bed. She wore a night dress but she didn't look like she just woke up. "Nightmares?"

She glared at him. "Is it that obvious?"

He sat next to her, observing the room interestedly. It looked like a young woman's room, nothing at all like the room they shared in their house. The walls had posters of bands and Quidditch people. "We're not having those posters in our bedroom, maybe the kid's room but I have to draw the line in our bedroom," he told her, trying feebly to break the tension.

She snorted but shook her head and stood up. She leaned against the door, facing him, with her arms crossed. "What are you saying?" she said coolly.

"I'm saying I want you home. I'm saying I miss you. I'm saying I'm sorry. I'm saying I love you."

"What about Lily? I'm not a replacement for anyone Sev- Professor"

He wracked his brain for a way to get his point across without it being taken in the wrong context again. "Do you love Harry?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked impatiently.

Severus shook his head. "Yes or no?"

She nodded reluctantly. Severus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Have you ever compared me to Harry?"

As he waited for the answer, he realized why Ginny had gotten very upset at him. He suddenly imagined her answer to be yes and he got angry, but thankfully she shook her head. "Of course not, you're completely different. How I love Harry is different from the way I feel about you!"

Severus smiled and pulled her towards him. "Exactly! The way I love Lily is different from how I love you. She was my first love, my best friend, and she had a place in my heart that no one could replace. But at the same time you also have a place in my heart. For some reason you managed to sneak your way inside and I refuse to let you sneak your way back out. I love you Ginny, and I will always love you whether you choose Potter or me or anyone else. I will love you no matter what."

She slowly started smiling. She looked at him in a way that sent his heart pounding. "I love you too."

Severus couldn't help his heart from rejoicing. He leaned in and placed his head in the crook of her neck. She pulled his face and towards hers and captured his lips.

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**A message from TemperedRose:**

This is not the last chapter. And I am aware that it's short...

Now that we've cleared that up, how'd you like it? It's a bit cheesy, I know but oh well... I am an in-the-closet helpless romantic. Hehehe, shhh don't tell anyone...

Remember to REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

"Albus Severus Snape," he called out during the roll call.

"Here," said the young boy.

He paused before he said the next name. He took a moment to look at the boy properly. He had seen Albus during the sorting, he was in Slytherin, and he'd admit he spent most of the night glaring at the unsuspecting boy. Albus looked exactly like the miniature version of his father, but what struck Harry was that the boy had Ginny's lovely chocolate brown eyes. The same eyes Harry had gotten lost in many times before.

He was angry. That boy should have been his, not Snape's.

He continued on to the rest of the rest of the names while his mind went on a nostalgic trip.

A year after his defeat of Voldemort, he heard news of Ginny remarrying Snape in a proper wedding with a reception and everything. The news of their marriage didn't send a big shock in wizarding community. Perhaps because when it was announced by the family, Harry decided to go on an impromptu trip abroad. The news that he was leaving over shadowed the fact that a former headmaster was marrying a student.

Ginny did not return to Hogwarts to finish her last year, instead she self studied and earned a career in sports journalism. He read one of her works about the upcoming Quidditch World cup. He was glad she didn't become a common housewife; on the contrary she made quite the name for herself in the Quidditch business. She even played for the Holyhead Harpies when she turned twenty-one, but that was only for a year, not that Harry really intensely monitored all her games... much.

When Harry returned to England, he applied for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, which he received with no hindrance, especially with Minerva as Headmistress. He had not seen Ginny since her announcement of the wedding, at least not up close. He generally avoided the Burrow when he knew she was there, fortunately she had a set schedule for dropping by: Fridays and Mondays.

The Weasley boys were reluctant on accepting Severus as part of their family but eventually they had to live with it. The couple had the full support of Molly and Arthur, even thought they were already married with a child and no one could say otherwise. Harry even unenthusiastically talked Ron into coming to terms with the man being a part of their family. After a noticeably loud argument between the two youngest siblings, Ron realized, forcibly after Hermione threatened to withhold sex with him, that he had no choice in the matter.

"Professor Potter?" asked a small girl with auburn hair.

He smiled softly at her and shook his head from the past. Ginny was happy, even though Harry had difficulty accepting it, she was happy.

"Sorry about that, my head decided to visit my first year here. As you may or may not know, my name is Harry Potter. You may address me as sir or professor. I will be teaching you Defence Against the Dark Arts."

He found it natural to be a teacher. It felt like he was back in fifth year, teaching his fellow students the proper way to defend themselves.

"Snape, what is the spell used to disarm?" he asked sharply.

The boy stared at him as if he was expecting a hostile treatment from his teacher. Harry wondered if the boy knew the history between him and the older Snape.

"I don't know Professor," he answered softly.

Harry struggled with himself. A part of him wanted to humiliate the boy as much as Snape had humiliated him. To cause as much trouble as Snape cause him. But the boy looked at him with Ginny's eyes. "Ms. Wood," he called instead to the Gryffindor girl who called him earlier. "Can you answer the question?"

"It's the Disarming Charm sir," she answered.

"Who knows the incantation used for it?"

The same girl raised her hand. Harry saw another version of Hermione. "It's Expelliarmus,"

He nodded. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

He pointed his wand at the Snape boy. "Expelliarmus," he said. The boy's wand flew into the air and Harry caught it easily.

Albus looked at his wand in Harry's hand nervously, as if he was unsure that Harry would give it back.

"The way to block spells like this is the Shield Charm. The incantation is Protego." Harry told the class. "Snape, come up to the front and we'll demonstrate."

He handed the wand back to the boy, he was visibly scared. Harry's heart softened at this. "Class, remember when casting the spell you have concentrate. Magic isn't just about wand waving or incantations. It is about feeling your power, and harnessing it in the proper way. You have to will your magic to protect you," he explained. He turned to the Snape boy, "I'll go easy don't worry but you still need great concentration for this."

The boy nodded and lifted his wand determinedly. Harry saw Ginny in him. "Expelliarmus," he said and at the same time the boy shouted, "Protego!"

He was strong, Harry admitted to himself. He managed to block Harry in his first try. Harry nodded proudly at him. "Very good Mr. Snape, ten points to Slytherin,"

The boy smiled brightly.

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Harry entered his room for a much needed rest. While it was a great job, it could be very tiring. He regretted the all the trouble that he and his friends put their teachers through. But he loved it, not only did he loved teaching; it was also very convenient for him. Teddy was starting his second year, and was doing great in all his classes. He was sorted in Ravenclaw, which didn't surprise Harry as the boy was very smart, just like his father.

His mind wandered back to the Snape boy. He suddenly understood Snape so much more.

Speak of the -

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" he asked the intruder. He didn't know how the man managed to enter his room. It was unnerving.

"You forget Potter, that I used to work for the Dark Lord,"

Harry chuckled darkly. Over the years he had pretended that Snape never existed.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked the man.

"I know it's a long overdue apology for the way I treated you. I spent the day waiting for a letter to arrive from Albus, and when one did, he mentioned a certain teacher of his. I was expecting something horrible, but he had all praises for the man I treated unfairly," Snape answered. It lacked the familiar drawl that Harry had grown accustomed to. He had not seen the former professor since the wedding announcement and he realized just how much ten years has changed him. He had many more wrinkles and his hair was thinning. He didn't look like someone who had an eleven year old child, but then again neither had Arthur when Harry first met him. Without the permanent scowl on his face, Harry did notice that the man looked good for his age.

"Yes, well I was always the better man than you were," Harry retorted.

Snape sent an apologetic grimace. "Yes, well, I've changed."

"I noticed," Harry answered in a less hostile tone. "Your boy's smart, and powerful, I can tell you that. He managed to block a disarming charm I sent his way,"

Severus had a proud look on him. "I would say he got that from me but we both know that's all Ginny."

Harry chuckled. The tension disappeared. "Heard you had another one,"

A smile appeared on Snape's face. "We named her after you mother actually. I hope you don't mind." Harry shook his head. "Lyllianne Luna Snape, we call her Lianne for short."

"Sounds nice. I think my mother would have been happy."

Snape nodded and crossed his arms. "She misses you. She knows you've been avoiding her and she's accepted it. But I want you to have dinner with us one day. She's a good cook, nothing on her mother, but still."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll think about it."

Snape seemed to accept the answer and moved to leave. "Tell your boy Albus to watch out. I just might steal his girl one day," Harry told him.

**-END-**

**A message from TemperedRose:**

It's a bittersweet moment, when finishing a story. A part of me wants to write more and more and more but another part of me wants to let go –the latter won over, sorry guys. I'm glad to finish this and perhaps when I get another inspiration I'll write another story about Ginny and Snape, but until then I'm closing the book on this one.

Thank you for all those who reviewed, especially those who did it constantly! It may sound shallow and vain but you reviewers are the reason I even post! Hehehe! Just, a load of thanks and make sure to check out my other stories (sorry but this is the only Sev/Gin story I've written so far). It's been great writing this!

Even if it's the last chapter I'd still appreciate it if you leave a REVIEW!


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